


17 Days of Rowaelin Drabbles

by westofmoon



Series: Rowaelin winter drabbles [5]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Christmas Drabbles, Christmas Lingerie, F/M, Mistletoe, Modern AU, Only One Bed, Playing in the Snow, Presents, Snowed In, Tiny bit of Angst, ToGxHP au, Yule Ball, blood and bones au, canon post koa, fluffy fluff, icydk au, rowaelin babies, winter drabbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 28,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21567025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westofmoon/pseuds/westofmoon
Summary: Rowaelin themed winter and Christmas drabbles. Event I'm doing on my tumblr. Drabbles are posted every other day, at midnight est.
Relationships: Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien & Rowan Whitethorn, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien/Rowan Whitethorn
Series: Rowaelin winter drabbles [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543741
Comments: 9
Kudos: 118





	1. hold me, it's cold

**Author's Note:**

> Starting from November 26th and every other day until Christmas, I'll be posting Christmas and winter themed drabbles, featuring Rowaelin from my various AUs. There will be 17 total.

“Why is it so _cold_?” Aelin grumbled through chattering teeth, sending a puff of steam into the air in front of Rowan’s face. He glanced down at her as she bounced on her toes in an effort to stay warm, and a small smile tugged at his lips. 

It was Orynth’s annual Winter Carnival and they had been outside for hours, browsing the little pop-up stalls selling goods and food, playing the carnival games and listening to the holiday music pouring out of shops as they waited in the square for nightfall, when the giant tree in the center of town would be lit, signifying the start of the holiday season. 

Rowan normally didn’t care for these sorts of events. But Aelin did, and he would do just about anything if it meant spending time with her. She was his best friend. And he was completely and utterly gone for her. 

Befitting the celebration, the weather had turned colder the night before and it had snowed, covering the town in a layer of white. And the snow was still falling.

It was beautiful, it really was. But it was also taking a toll on all of the people attending the festivities. Aelin included.

Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were rosy from the cold air and Rowan thought it made her even more beautiful than usual. 

“You’re cute when you’re freezing,” he teased, hoping she didn’t hear just how serious he was. 

Aelin responded by sticking her tongue out at him. But then she eyed him, pursing her lips as her eyes traveled up and down his much taller frame appraisingly. And then she smirked, and he could have sworn her cheeks darkened slightly. “Hold me so I can get warm.” 

Rowan blinked, his face heating. Gods, he hoped she thought it was just the cold.

“Please, Rowan?” she whined.

He could only nod, unable to speak with the way his pounding heart stole the breath from. Before he had even finished nodding, she plastered herself against him, causing him inhale sharply. 

Aelin’s arms slipped under his unzipped jacket and around to his back, gripping his shirt. Rowan swallowed, trying not to think about how close she was, the way she felt pressed up against him like this. 

“You’re so _warm_ ,“ she moaned. “It’s like hugging a heater.” With a breathy sigh, she nuzzled her face against his chest, right over his racing heart. 

Very carefully, Rowan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer so she could stay warm. Even though being this close to her… Every time, it became more difficult to let her go again.

She turned her head so her ear was pressed to his chest, almost as if she were listening to his frantically beating heart. He wondered if she _could_ hear it. What she would make of it.

After a few minutes of standing there together, holding each other, Aelin slid her hands back around to his front and slipped her fingers under the hem of his shirt. He jumped at the touch, but it had little to do with her cold fingertips on skin, and a strangled gasp caught in the back of his throat. 

He looked down at her nervously, and found her already looking up at him with a little smile. But then her eyes dipped to his lips. Slowly, her turquoise and gold gaze rose back to his, and Rowan stopped breathing. 

He couldn’t move as she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. His heart lurched, every atom of his being seemed to ignite at the soft touch. His skin was burning hot enough to keep them both warm for the rest of the winter. Rowan was honestly surprised the snow around them wasn’t melting.

Of their own accord, his fingers uncurled from where they were clutching the back of her coat and instead tangled in her hair, pulling golden strands free of the loose, messy braid that tumbled down her back. Aelin’s own hands slid across his chest and up over his shoulders.

After what felt like an eternity, Aelin pulled back, looking up at him with an almost hesitant smile. For several heartbeats, Rowan could only stare.

And then he moved, pulling her to him again as his lips claimed hers once more.

They became so lost in each other, standing there in the falling snow, that neither of them even noticed when the tree was finally lit.


	2. toys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part of my icydk au… aurelia is 5, aspen is 4 and eyas is 2 in this one.   
> Just some domestic cuteness with this one.

Rowan grumbled, tightening his grip on his wife’s hand as they stood in line behind all of the other crazy holiday shoppers that had also piled into the mall for the big sales that kicked off at 9pm. And the place was a mad house, busier than a hive of bees in springtime. 

“It’s not my fault the holiday sales start tonight,” Aelin had reasoned as they had gotten into Rowan’s truck earlier in the evening to head to the mall. “If we want to get the kids the toys they want, we have to be there now to get in line!" 

And so off they went, leaving the children in the care of their grandparents. They had been standing in this stupid line for nearly four hours. But despite his grumbling, there was no way in Hellas’s realm that Rowan wasn’t going to do everything in his power to get his children what they wanted for Yulemas. 

The other shoppers were of the same mindset, and were starting to get a bit unruly as they all awaited for the doors to open. 

As the minutes ticked down, the woman behind them kept bumping into their backs, and Aelin was growing irritated.

Rowan leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Easy, babe. You’re a cop, remember?”

She looked up at him with a tight expression. “Funny how you think my being a cop is enough to prevent me from elbowing her in the face,” she muttered darkly, only loud enough for him to hear.

He smiled. “Please don’t make me arrest my wife for public disturbance.” Aelin just glowered at him. “Baby, you know they’re just going to end up playing with their old toys or the boxes like they do every year. There’s no point getting so worked up, why don’t we just-” He trailed off as Aelin gave him a look that dared him, dared him!, to finish that sentence. She was stressed out and he knew it, and was in no mood for his teasing. 

With a deepening scowl, she growled, “I am getting my kids their toys!”

“Alright, love,” he said calmly and placating. Rowan maneuvered her around in front of him, placing his hands on her shoulders and rolling his thumbs in small circles, trying to help her to relax. As a result, he was now taking the brunt of the woman’s elbowing to his own back. Wincing at a particularly sharp jab, he leaned down to so his mouth was next to Aelin’s ear, “So… what are we looking for? Exactly. So I can grab it if I see it.”

She pursed her lips, “A set of magna tiles and that Ice Dragon toy for Aspen. Aura wants the doll from the ice princess movie, the one that sings and comes with that blue horse…”

“Oh, the Frozen 2 doll?” he asked. Aelin leaned over and looked up at him, her brow quirked in amusement. “What? We’ve seen that movie a million times,” he laughed. 

With a smile, she shrugged in agreement. “And she wants the Rapunzel dress up costume set because…

"Because Rapunzel is her favorite,” Rowan finished, smiling again. “And for Eyas?”

“The Singing Owl thing. It counts and says letters and colors. Oh, and one of those stuffed Bulbasaurs because that’s the one he likes best." 

Rowan nodded, "That’s the blue one, right?”

“No, it’s _green_. It’s a _plant_ , Rowan.”

He laughed softly at her frazzled response. “Okay, love. I’ve got it.”

The workers inside the store moved towards the doors, preparing to unlock them, and Aelin tugged at his arm. “You’re staying with me, right?”

Rowan arched a brow. “Worried you might get lost, princess? Or do you need me there to keep you out of trouble?” he teased with a smirk. 

“No,” she snorted. “It’s because you’re big and intimidating and scary. And you have long arms that are good for reaching over top of people to grab things!” she added with a mischievous little grin.

“Thanks for that, love,” he laughed. 

Her nose scrunched as she smiled wider. “Are you ready?”

“Not really, but it’s not like I have a choice.” He smiled back, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Nope. You don’t.”

~*~

By some miracle or another, they managed to get their children exactly what they wanted. And without Aelin maiming anyone or going to jail. 

And on Yulemas morning, Aelin sat with bated breath and watched her children tear into their presents with glee. Paper and ribbons and bows flew and happy laughter filled their living room.

Aurelia let out a squeal as she saw her princess dress, complete with a crown, and had quickly put it on over her pajamas. And then she opened the doll and horse, and now she was playing with her new doll beneath the tree, pretending the it was climbing up the spindly branches and freezing ornaments into ice. 

Aspen had immediately wanted to play with his new magna tiles, and he built what Aelin thought was supposed to be a castle overtop of a sleeping Fleetfoot before proceeding to knock it down with his dragon toy. He was now making roaring sounds as he ‘walked’ the toy up and down the golden mound of fur. Fleetfoot, bless her, took it all in stride and let the four-year-old have his fun, her shaggy tail wagging as the little boy stopped to pet her on the head. 

But poor little Eyas… Well, Aelin supposed that two out of three wasn’t a complete failure.

Eyas had had a blast ripping the paper off of his presents, and he had even seemed interested in his Singing Owl toy. But when the poor little thing had hit one of the buttons and it began to light up and sing, he had promptly burst into tears. Eyas had wriggled out of her arms and crawled over to where Rowan sat on the floor in front of the couch, climbing into his father’s lap and burying his little face against Rowan’s shirt as he sobbed, completely terrified.

“Eyas, sweetheart, look,” Aelin had crooned softly, holding up the green stuffed animal in an effort to calm him down. Her youngest took one look at it and let out another wail, crying harder. “But… he’s your favorite,” Aelin said desperately.

Rowan huffed a soft laugh and patted the two-year-old on his back soothingly, trying to shush his crying. With a heavy sigh, Aelin gave up and finally hid the 'scary toys’. In a matter of minutes, Eyas was rejoining his brother and sister.

With a shake of her head, Aelin sidled up against her husband where he still sat on the floor, and the two of them watched their children play around the tree. 

Eyas crawled in and out of the empty boxes and tossed around ripped wrapping paper as he laughed. As he scrambled into yet another box, letting out a squeal as Fleetfoot tried to follow him, Rowan laughed under his breath. Aelin glanced up at him, only to find him smirking at her, eyes crinkled at the corners. _I told you so_.

Aelin narrowed her eyes. “Shut up, buzzard.”

“Look, daddy! Daddy!” Aurelia ran over to them, wanting to show her father something about the horse that had come with her new doll. 

Rowan listened with rapt attention as their five year old explained what she had discovered. “I see that, love,” he said excitedly, causing Aura to grin toothily. 

And as Aelin took in that wide smile on her little girl’s face, on the faces of both of her sons as they played together, building a new castle, she decided that she would gladly do this all over again next year, if there were more moments like this. Smiles and laughs. And as Rowan caught her eye, she knew he felt the same way, too.


	3. want me to go with you? - part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ToGxHP au. Rowan is a fifth year, Aelin is a fourth year. also, it’s not technically winter-y or Christmas-y, but I’m saying it applies because it’s talking about the Yule Ball.

Rowan leaned against the wall opposite the Great Hall doors. His fingers tugged idly at the end of his green and silver tie as he awaited for Aelin to be released from her dancing lessons; mandatory, now that she was one of the champions selected for the Tri Wizard Tournament. 

As much as he hated the idea, if she wasn’t out soon, he would have to leave in order to make it to his next class in time.

Thankfully, though, the doors swung open and Aelin came limping out, face twisted into a scowl. He grinned as he heard her muttering darkly about how she wanted to hex someone.

She glanced up then and her turquoise and gold eyes brightened when she saw him, her entire face lighting up as she made her way over to him. Rowan smiled down at her, vaguely aware of Sam Cortland exiting the Great Hall behind her. He gave Aelin a strange look and then threw a quick glare at Rowan before storming off down the hall.

“I swear I’m going to turn Benson into an urchin,” Aelin grumbled, referring to a boy from the Wendlyn school who was helping with the lessons.

Rowan laughed softly as they began walking down the hall. “It couldn’t have been that bad?”

“He stepped on my feet over a hundred times!” she exclaimed.

Ah, so that was why she was limping. Her feet were probably killing her.

Aelin went on, her expression falling again, “If this keeps up every practice, I won’t be able to dance at the stupid Ball.”

Rowan arched a brow at her word choice. “I never thought I’d see the day you would complain about being the center of attention, fireheart,” he said jokingly, placing a hand on her elbow to help her ease down the stairs on her sore feet. 

“Normally, I would love it,” she agreed, shrugging a shoulder. “I love dancing. And of course, I have a nice dress…” She actually grinned a bit at that.

“Of course you do,” he laughed.

She preened, smiling at him. “I do nothing halfway, Rowan.” But then her mouth twisted into a frown. “But it’s just this competition. Trying to figure out the next task and who put my name into the cup and _why_. It’s a lot at once.” She scrubbed her face with her hands. “And then add in trying to find a date,” she added with a forced laugh.

Rowan’s brows drew together in confusion. A few weeks ago, he had jokingly said he wasn’t going to dance with anyone when Aelin had mentioned the ball. He should have known better than to joke about it, especially when he _knew_ how stressed over the competition she had been. He hadn’t thought about how it would only add to her already full plate. If he had, he never would have said it. 

Besides, she was his best friend, of course he would go with her if it was what she wanted. Even if Rowan cared more about her than just as a friend. Even though the thought of dancing with her, of holding her close, it made his stomach flip pleasantly.

Although, Rowan did find it a bit strange that she hadn’t brought the Ball up since he had made that joke. Maybe she hadn’t realized he was only kidding, given how preoccupied she had been lately.

So he gave her a playful grin. “Well, it’s a good thing you have me, right? And I promise I won’t step on your toes when we dance. So that’s a few less things to worry about,” he said, laughing.

But Aelin didn’t react as he expected. There was no relief, no mischievous little grin tugging at her lips. She didn’t laugh and her brilliant eyes didn’t light up. 

Instead a look akin to horror crossed her features. And a sinking feeling filled Rowan’s stomach. “Y-you do want me to go with you… right?” he asked, the look on her face stealing his breath and making the word’s sound almost hesitant.

At his words, Aelin stopped walking in the middle of the hall, still looking at him strangely. “You _are_ going to go?”

Rowan nodded absently. “Of course, Aelin. I was never going to leave you to go through that by yourself.” He tried to keep his voice light and reassuring, even though it was all he could do to get the words out. Because he knew that whatever she was going to tell him was going to hurt. 

“You said you weren’t going,” Aelin said, averting her gaze as if she were suddenly afraid to look at him. 

He ducked his head, trying to get her to look at him again. “I was only joking, fireheart. Of course I was going to go with you.”

“But I thought-” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “I thought you weren’t going to go so I…” She paused, swallowing nervously. And slowly, so very slowly, her eyes rose to his. And the look in them nearly gutted him. “I agreed to go with Sam.”

“Sam?” Rowan asked. It felt as if the floor was being pulled out from beneath his feet in slow motion. 

Aelin nodded. “I mean it made sense,” she shrugged, trying to explain. “Since we’re both Champions from the same school and all, he thought that…" 

Rowan barely registered her words. 

Sam Cortland. She was going with Sam Cortland. The boy she had had a crush on her entire second and third year. He should have know this was coming. Especially after that look Sam had thrown their way when they left the Great Hall. 

"Yeah, it makes sense,” Rowan agreed, forcing a smile to his lips. “I’m sure you’ll have fun. I’ll just find someone else to go with. That way I’ll still be there to provide you with some moral support.” He forced out a small laugh, trying to tease her. 

But his heart wasn’t in it. Not when it had been effectively ripped out.

Aelin nodded again, biting her lip once more. She picked at her fingernails nervously, looking as if she were trying to think of something to say. “Rowan, I-”

“I’ll see you later, yeah? I have to go before I’m late for class. I’ll see you at dinner.” And with that, Rowan turned and quickly made his way down the hall, not waiting for her to reply.

Because he knew if he had stood there for even a second longer, he wouldn’t have been able to hide from her just how much his heart was breaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did i say all of these were fluffy? I lied… oop. I’ll make it better, I promise


	4. unwrapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in my icydk au.

It was their first Yulemas since they had gotten married, but thanks to their jobs, Aelin and her new husband hadn’t gotten to spend much time together at all over the past few days. 

They both had big cases that were occupying their time, Rowan more so than herself, and some days she barely managed to see him for more than a few minutes at a time. If he made it home at all, she was already in bed when he came in, and one of them was always still fast asleep when the other left the next morning. 

Yesterday had been Rowan’s thirty-third birthday, and all they had managed to get out of it was a little holiday cupcake with a candle that Aelin had swiped from the conference room and a five minute make out in his office before their cases had pulled them apart again. 

But thankfully, just in time for Yulemas Eve, Aelin had managed to wrap up her case. She was done for the day, and she had been given the next few days off. After changing out of her uniform, Aelin ducked into Rowan’s office.

“Hey, I’m about to head out,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. 

Rowan glanced up at her over his paperwork and gave her a tired smile as she dropped her bag and strolled over to his desk, perching herself on the corner of it. “I should be done in an hour or so,” he said, rubbing his face with the heels of his palms. “ _Finally_. And then I’m coming home, curling up with you and then I am going to sleep for the next week.”

She hummed, quite liking that plan, but she also had a few ideas of her own. “Now don’t tell me you don’t want to unwrap a few of your presents,” she teased. 

He arched a brow, hands tightening on her knees. “The only present I’m interested in unwrapping is you,” he countered, his voice a low rumbling growl that had her toes curling in her boots. And then he kissed her, tongue sweeping into her mouth to flick against hers, telling her what exactly he had in mind once he got home. Heat flared in her core. 

When he pulled back, she smiled. “I might be able to arrange that,” she taunted breathlessly, hopping down off of his desk. “I’ll see you when you get home, and we’ll see if you’re still up for some _stocking stuffing_.”

He nipped her nose for her teasing, and she nudged him with her hip as she sauntered around his desk and out the door, feeling his gaze on her back as she went.

~*~*~

It was late when Rowan finally made it home. Much later than he had expected, since Nehemia had brought him even more paperwork to file to finally close that damn case he had been working on.

All of the lights inside the house were off, with the exception of the Yulemas tree glowing in the living room. Aelin was no where to be seen. She must have already gone up to bed. 

With a heavy, defeated sigh, Rowan tossed his keys onto the counter and removed his coat and boots. He stopped to grab a drink of water before he made to head upstairs to bed. 

As he walked across the living, he glanced over at the Yulemas tree, and stopped dead in his tracks. 

Because there was Aelin, lounging on the rug before the tree. All of her soft curves on near full display, covered only by strategically placed green ribbons. The warm light from the tree gilded her skin and hair, making her seem to glow golden. 

Rowan blinked at her, heat pooling in his lower stomach. His fingers twitched and curled slightly with the urge to touch, to trace every inch of her body.

“If I recall correctly…” Aelin drawled, a wicked smirk playing at her lips, “ _someone_ said that I was the only present he wanted to unwrap?”

Rowan swallowed, tongue darting out to wet his lips. “Did I now?” his voice came out like a low rumbling growl, his accent sounding thicker than usual, even to his own ears. 

He dared a step. And then another. And as he moved closer to his wife, he realized that the ribbons were actually a skimpy little set of lingerie that were made to look like ribbons wrapped over her breasts and hips.

“Well, here I am,” she crooned. “Yours for the unwrapping." 

As Rowan dropped down before her, she rose onto her knees, biting her lip as she looked up at him, chest heaving with anticipation. With a smile, he slid his hands around her waist, fingers tracing slow, idle shapes in the small of her back, drawing a small gasp from her lips before he suddenly pulled her flush against him. And then he kissed her, his tongue slipping into her mouth to tangle with hers. 

Aelin’s hands came to rest on either side of his face, fingers brushing over his cheeks, trailing down his jaw. Her body arched against him.

Rowan smiled against her lips and scooped her into his arms, standing in one easy motion. Aelin let out a startled squeak, her eyes widening as she glanced up at him.

"I have a much more comfortable place to do our unwrapping,” he growled, nipping her lip softly. 

With a smile, Aelin pulled his face down to hers again, and she didn’t complain as he carried her upstairs to their bedroom. 


	5. mistletoe - part 1

It was the final party on campus before everyone packed up and went home for the holidays, and it was sure to be one that everyone would still be talking about when they returned. The music was loud and the drinks were flowing. 

And Rowan Whitethorn was buzzing, but not from the whiskey. 

Aelin Galathynius was currently pressed up against his side, a wide grin on her stunning face as she laughed at whatever challenge Elide and Lysandra had just thrown her way as she prepared to take her turn at the game of holiday beer pong they were playing. The sight of that smile, the sound of that laugh, the feel of her skin on his and the scent of her jasmine shampoo was nearly driving him insane. Everything about her was intoxicating and he was happily drunk on her.

He had been in love with her for longer than he cared to admit, despite the rough start to their friendship. And while he knew that she cared about him, a lot in fact, he wasn’t sure if it would ever be as more than just her best friend.

Aelin placed a hand on his thigh as she pushed herself to her feet, her other hand rising to push a few loose strands of her golden hair behind an ears. She glanced back at him where he sat, turquoise and gold eyes bright with joy, cheeks flushed from the warmth in the room and the drink, and Rowan’s stomach gave a flip. 

A conspiratorial grin spread across her face and she turned back towards the table to take her turn. She leaned forward to grab a ping pong ball and the movement drew his attention to her backside, those tight-as-sin jeans she was wearing hugging her curves in a way that had him sitting up a little straighter in his seat. Rowan was unable to tear his eyes away, away from the little flash of skin at the small of her back as her shirt rode up, almost as if she were teasing him. Rowan swallowed hard and shifted again. 

Aelin took aim and threw, the little ball soared through the air to land in the single remaining cup at the other end of the table. Elide and Lysandra both bemoaned their defeat as Aelin _woop_ ed in triumph. 

Doing a little victory dance, Aelin spun on her toes, flopping backwards towards the seat next to his. But instead of landing where she intended, she landed squarely in Rowan’s lap with a giddy squeal. 

Rowan let out a strangled gasp, his entire body lurched in surprise at the sudden weight of her on top of him. He was so startled that he lost his grip on his cup and whiskey sloshed down the front of his shirt and jeans. Some of it even splashed onto Aelin herself as she spun around on his lap. He leapt up out of his seat, bringing Aelin with him and setting her on her feet. 

“Oh gods, Rowan, I’m sorry!” Aelin cried, reaching towards him as if to help, but then she pulled her hands back to herself hesitantly. 

He sighed, “It’s alright.” It was just going to be an even colder walk than expected back to his dorm. 

But then Aelin small hand closed around his, tugging slightly. “Come with me,” she told him, pulling him along behind her as she made her way into the kitchen, grabbing some napkins and paper towels. She tried to help him dry himself off, but all of the touching was only serving to make him more flustered. 

So Rowan took over, and Aelin’s expression fell as he brushed her hands away. He could have sworn that she seemed almost disappointed. 

“I’m really sorry, Ro,” she apologized again, mouth twisted in a pout. 

“It’s okay, really,“ he assured her, with a smile. "I promise I’m not-” 

“Oh look!” she cut him off excitedly. “Mistletoe!” 

He blinked, taking a moment to process the word. “What?” 

“There’s mistletoe above us,” she giggled, pointing above his head. 

Rowan followed her finger and sure enough, above his head was a little sprig of green leaves and small white berries hanging by a little red ribbon. It was like it was taunting him, and he could only stare at it dumbly for several moments, feeling his heartbeat start to race. 

There was no way she had pointed out the mistletoe because she actually _wanted_ him to kiss her, like his foolish heart wanted to believe. But his prolonged silence was becoming awkward as she looked at him with expectant amusement in her eyes. So he said the first, admittedly stupid, thing that popped into his head. "You know that stuff is poisonous, right?”

Aelin made a face. “Why are you always such a spoil sport, Whitethorn?" 

He snorted, glancing down at her. "Well, if you want to kiss someone under a poisonous plant I certainly won’t stop-” his words cut off as Aelin grabbed his face and yanked him down to crash her lips to his. 

His eyes widened as her soft lips moved against his, her hands moving from his face around to the back of his neck, fingers weaving into his hair to pull him closer. Everywhere they touched felt like his skin was set a flame. Rowan was so shocked he could barely move. Somehow his hands came to rest on her waist and his eyes slowly fluttered closed. 

Rowan knew he should stop this, knew he should pull away because she would regret this when she was sober. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

And then her tongue traced his bottom lip and he parted for her, and when her tongue slipped into his mouth to brush against his… 

His arms wrapped around her body, crushing her against him, pulling her _closerclosecloser_. Aelin moaned into his mouth and that was the end of everything. 

The spilled drink, the wet clothes. They were forgotten as their hands explored each others body, tangling in each other’s hair. Suddenly, Rowan found himself stumbling down a hallway, laughing against Aelin’s lips as they fell into walls and doors, unable to stop kissing for the length of time it would take to simply walk down the hall. 

She shoved him into an empty bedroom and kicked the door closed behind them as her hands went to his shirt, yanking it up up up over his head. Her shirt followed a heartbeat later as they tumbled onto the bed, Aelin brining him down on top of her. 

Rowan gasped at the touch of her hands on his bare skin, her fingers tracing the planes and grooves of his abdomen and chest, and she arched into each of his own touches, as his hands traveled along her back, across her waist, up her stomach.

Aelin tilted her head back, baring her neck as his lips trailed down her throat, a breathy sigh falling past her lips, “Rowan…" 

The sound sent a thrill down his spine, warmth pooling in his stomach, and his drink loosened lips moved of their own accord. "I love you,” he breathed against her skin. 

Both of them instantly froze. 

Slowly Rowan pulled back, gazing down at her. 

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

Oh gods. _Oh gods_. Every bit of fire in his veins snuffed out in an instant, replaced by cold terror. “I-,” he tried, backing further away from her. “I didn’t…” What had he done? He had just ruined everything. Stupid stupid _stupid_. 

There was such a strange look on her face, in her eyes as she looked up at him. “Rowan,” she lifted a hand, reaching for him.

And Rowan stumbled back off of the bed, snatching his shirt off of the floor and yanking it back on. “I have to go,” was all he could say before he ran out of the room. Leaving Aelin sitting there in the center of the bed, staring after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll fix it, I promise.


	6. you smell like home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yall. No more angst. I promise. It’s pure fluff from here on out. And the fix-its are coming 💚
> 
> Set in canon, post Kingdom of Ash.

Aelin traced her fingertips along the swirls and whirls of black ink along Rowan’s arm, his own fingers doing the same on her back and following the lines of the Old Language he had inked in her flesh from memory alone. 

There was nowhere else she would rather have been in that moment, on this frigid Yulemas night, than in the arms of her mate as the harsh winter winds off the Staghorns pounded the castle, bringing with it a blizzard that would cover all of Orynth in feet of snow. She snuggled closer into his warmth, nestling her head in the curve of his shoulder and chest.

Rowan’s green eyes drank in her face as her fingertips continued to trail along his tattoo, over the sharp curve of his jaw, along his cheek and on up to his temple. 

Aelin sighed, breathing in the heady, intoxicating scent of pine and snow that clung to his skin, and a smile tugged at her lips. “You smell like Yulemas,” she said. 

Rowan laughed softly, his canines flashing in the light from the fireplace across the room. 

“I’m serious,” she told him, grinning back, letting her hand fall to his chest again. “Did I ever tell you that all those years while I was Celaena… Yulemas was always my favorite holiday? After Beltane, of course.” He shook his head slightly, eyes intense as he listened to her with rapt attention. 

Aelin’s fingers went back to tracing the swirls over his heart, her eyes following the movements. “It was because of all of the scents. Sure, all of the presents were great but… the pine trees and the snow. It made everything smell like home. Like Orynth and Terrasen. It reminded me of when I was little, with my family. So it was like my own little corner of home, even when I was so far away.” 

Rowan large, calloused hand rose to capture hers, the ruby in his marriage band glinting as he lifted her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles before pressing it flush to his chest again, directly over his heart. 

Aelin tilted her head to look up at him, a teasing smirk on her lips. “Imagine my surprise that day in Mistward, when I shifted and I could smell every facet of the forest around me… and I caught a whiff of pine and snow coming off of one of the most infuriating bastards that I had ever had the misfortune to meet.” 

Rowan’s eyes were near glowing as he rolled onto his side to face her. “Me?” he asked almost innocently, though the laughter in his tone and the arched brow ruined the effect.

She flipped him on his nose with a finger. He responded by nipping hers, and then flicking her chin. 

“It makes sense, though. That you smell like home. As my mate,” she reasoned with a coy smile, wrapping her arms around his neck. She bit her lip as his hands slid over her waist, pulling her flush to his bare body. “You’re practically an embodiment of Terrasen, really. The silver hair…” She twirled a lock of his hair around her finger, and then ran that finger below his eye. “The green. The pine and snow. And you’re just as harsh and wild and wicked as the land,” she added with a quirked brow. 

A soft growl rumbled in his chest, those pine green eyes promising to show her just how wild and wicked he could be, and her toes curled under the thick blankets and furs.

But then she sobered. “You’re home,” she said softly, her throat tightening with emotion. “You are my home, Rowan. No matter what might have happened. No matter where I am, as long as it’s with you. I’ll be home.”

The inherent harshness of his face smoothed then, becoming soft and warm, his eyes bright. “Fireheart,” he murmured, a tattooed thumb brushing over the tip of her chin. “You are my home, too.” 

And then Rowan kissed her, his body moving over hers as his hands raked through her hair, trailing over her skin. 

And Rowan loved her long into the night, until every inch of her smelled of pine and snow too. 


	7. dance with me? - part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 'want me to go with you?'

Aelin was laughing as she staggered over to the banquet table to find something to drink. She had just finished a dance with her friends, Elide and Nehemia and Nesryn. Lysandra had vanished halfway through the song and unsurprisingly, so had Aedion. It wasn’t much of a mystery as to where they had gone off to.

She decided to pay Rowan a visit while she took a break before the next dance, maybe take a walk about the Gardens to for some fresh air. But as she made her way closer to the table where he had been sitting all evening, she saw that he wasn’t there. A quick glance around the Hall revealed that he wasn’t anywhere. 

The room was rather warm. Perhaps he had the same idea as she had and had gone outside for a walk? 

She walked over to the glass doors leading out into the gardens and stepped out into the cold evening air. Her pale gold dress sparkled in the moonlight peeking through the clouds as she walked the pathways around the garden, which had thankfully been cleared of the snow that had fallen throughout the day. But the lace sleeves did little to keep the her arms warm.

There were more than a few couples in the gardens stealing some alone time amongst the hedges, but Rowan wasn’t outside. Unless she had missed him and he had already returned to the Hall. 

So Aelin went back in. Just inside the doors, she paused to glance around the Hall again.

“Looking for someone?” a voice asked from behind her. Aelin turned to find Sartaq smiling at her knowingly, a dark brow arched. He looked quite handsome in his traditional Antican clothing, and, as usual, his long black hair adorned with a few braids. 

Sartaq was carrying two drinks, obviously one for himself and another for Nesryn. Aelin had never seen her friend look so happy than when she was with the young man from the Antican School. Her dark eyes were always bright and lively, and there was always a smile on her lovely face.

Aelin vaguely wondered if her own face would have looked so obviously happy to everyone if she had danced with Rowan tonight. She quickly shook her head to dismiss the thought. “Sartaq,” she greeted, smiling. “Um, you didn’t happen to see Rowan while I was out, did you?”

“The silver haired fellow? He left some time ago,” Sartaq responded, nodding towards the Great Hall doors.

Aelin’s expression fell. “Oh. Thank you.”

Sartaq nodded and wandered back over to where Nesryn was waiting for him, with a group containing several of his siblings, Hassar’s girlfriend, Renia, Borte and Yeran. 

Aelin turned her attention towards the doors. Rowan had left? And he hadn’t said goodbye. She couldn’t blame him, really. She had gotten distracted with the dancing and hadn’t gone over to talk to him for some time. 

She suddenly didn’t feel much like dancing any longer. 

As Aelin slipped between the other students, making her way towards the doors, she looked around the Hall one last time. At the couples still dancing, Nehemia and Fenrys among them. She spied Chaol and Yrene. Even Lyria, who’s glares Aelin had endured any time she had tried to speak to Rowan this evening, was dancing with some boy from the Wendlyn school. 

She also noticed that Sam was still staring at her. She really did feel bad about ditching him after that first obligatory dance. Instead, she had gone off with her friends, despite him repeatedly asking her for another dance. But Sam wasn’t who she had wanted to dance with. 

It was getting late and people were starting to wander back to their common rooms, anyways. No one would miss her. So Aelin excused herself, and slowly made her way back upstairs.

She ignored Mort’s grumbling at being woken up _yet again_ , and went inside their common room. The place was empty. Rowan must have already gone up to bed. 

With a disappointed sigh, Aelin climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory, her dress shimmering in the light from the candles in the wall sconces. Her feet were sore and aching in her golden slippers, and she was exhausted. But not only from the dancing. 

Mostly from trying to hold all of her anxiety over the competition in check. And even through she had had fun, and the stress had slipped from her mind more than a few times throughout the evening, it was always there. Hovering. Waiting to crash back down upon her like a wave. 

In those moments, she had craved the comfort only her best friend could give. So she had tried to steal a few moments to speak with him, but they were always interrupted. However, each time he caught her looking, he had flashed her a smile.

She couldn’t deny that it still stung a bit that Rowan had shown up to the Ball with Lyria. But he hadn’t danced with her; he hadn’t danced with anyone. Instead he had just sat at a table off to the side and watched everyone else. Besides, she had no room to be offended at his choice of date, considering she had also attended with her own ex.

Aelin changed into her pajamas and crawled into her bed. Gods, she was tired. And it was so late, well after midnight now, in the early hours of Yulemas morning.

But as the seconds, and then the minutes ticked by, and then an hour, sleep would not come. 

Eventually, Nesryn and Lysandra and Nehemia returned, laughing and talking quietly amongst themselves as they changed out of their dresses and climbed into their own beds. Aelin feigned sleep until she was sure that they were all asleep.

And then she got out of bed and tiptoed back down the stairs to the common room in the dim candlelight. But as she made her way over to the big green chairs before the fireplace, she realized that one of them was occupied.

Silver hair shined in the firelight. Pine green eyes rose to hers, blinking in surprise. Rowan. 

“Fireheart, what are you doing up?” he asked quietly, his voice soft. 

Aelin wrapped her arms around herself, worrying her lip. “I couldn’t sleep. What are you…?”

“Same.” He scooted over in the chair, making space for her and giving her a small, crooked smile.

With a grin, Aelin sat down beside him. 

For a long time they sat before the fire and talked, mostly about the ball and how some of their friends had shown off; namely Fenrys. How big of a shock it had been to see Lorcan Salvaterre show up with the with the Wendlyn School champion, Essar; and how upset Elide had seemed about it.

Aelin eventually leaned over to rest her head on Rowan’s shoulder, and after a heartbeat, he rested his own against hers.

“You looked quite handsome tonight,” Aelin told him. Indeed he had. The black dress shirt and pants, the dark green jacket. His hair combed back from his face. It had been a bit difficult to breathe when she first laid eyes on him. She hadn’t been able to look away for some time.

The memory of it caused her cheeks to feel a bit warm.

But Rowan didn’t notice as he grinned. “You didn’t look too bad yourself,” he teased. “I lost count of how many girls I heard talking about your dress.” She flashed a pleased smile. “How ostentatious it was,” he clarified, and it turned into a pout.

“I had to dress befitting a Champion!” Lie, she would have worn that dress whether or not her name had been drawn from the cup. And from his sideways smirk, he was thinking the same thing.

Rowan laughed, and then said softly, “You really did look beautiful tonight, fireheart. The most beautiful girl in the room." 

His words caused her face to heat even further, and she ducked her head to hide the blush, smiling. Several people had told her how nice she had looked tonight, but it meant so much more coming from Rowan. "Thanks.”

They fell silent after that, Aelin biting her bottom lip as she glanced at him. Finally, Aelin broke the silence. “You know, I thought that you would ask me to dance,” she said, trying to keep her tone light to hide how disappointed she actually was that he hadn’t.

He blinked, tilting his head to glance down at her. “You seemed like you were having fun… I didn’t want to intrude." 

Aelin pulled back to look up at him. "You could never intrude. And I would always save a dance for you. All you had to do was ask.”

Rowan gave her a strange look, something flashing in his pine green eyes that she didn’t recognize, but it made Aelin hold her breath all the same. Until he spoke. “Dance with me now, then?”

A smile tugged at her lips, and she nodded. Rowan stood, offering her a hand, and Aelin placed hers within it, her palm sliding against his. Little shivers raced up her arm as his fingers closed around her hand. 

Rowan pulled her to her feet and led her over before the windows where moonlight was still filtering into the room through the clouds, illuminating the castles towers and Oakwald beyond, making the snow on the ground sparkle. 

A snowflake fluttered down before her nose, causing Aelin to blink in surprise. It hadn’t been outside the window, but inside the common room. Aelin tilted her head back to look up as more snowflakes began to fall around her, disappearing before the hit the carpeted floor. She glanced at Rowan to find him smiling at her.

“It’s not as grand as the Great Hall but…” he shrugged a shoulder, looking a bit sheepish.

With a grin, Aelin turned towards him, placing her free hand in his shoulder. Rowan’s hand came to rest on her waist, pulling her closer than she expected, and she could have sworn that his cheeks seemed to darken slighy in the dim light.

And they began to sway, taking small, unhurried steps as they moved in a lazy circle, dancing in the glow of the moon and the magically falling flurries. 

True to his word, Rowan never once stepped on her toes. 

After a moment, Rowan began to hum the tune of some song, the slow melody vaguely familiar to her, but Aelin couldn’t place it. 

She was so happy, her heart felt if it might burst. Smiling, she took a step closer to rest her head against Rowan’s chest, wrapping both arms around his shoulders. Rowan didn’t miss a beat, his hands moving around to her back to hold her close. He never stopped humming his little song. 

Aelin was glad her face was hidden, because she couldn’t stop the wide smile that spread across her face. And she could have sworn she felt Rowan himself smiling, his face buried in her hair. 

This. This was all Aelin had wanted from the Ball tonight. All she had wanted when she had learned of it at the start of the school year. But in this moment, with just the two of them by themselves, dancing in the light from the fire and the moon, under a magical snow created by Rowan as he hummed a song just for her, was far better than any Ball.


	8. first tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set in my icydk au.

“Oh, this one looks nice!” Aelin said, placing her hand on the prickly branches of a pretty spruce tree. 

Rowan’s green eyes narrowed as he looked it over carefully, scrutinizing every twig and needle and fleck of bark. “It’s too…” He lifted a hand and waggled it. 

Aelin pursed her lips and took a second look at the tree. Now that he mentioned it, it did have a slight crook, about halfway up the length of it. It was still a nice tree but she nodded in agreement. “Okay.” She walked a few steps further down the aisle. “What about this one?” she asked, gesturing to a fir.

“Too short,” Rowan said without hesitation, shaking his head.

Her eyes widened in near dismay. The tree was nearly eight feet tall! But… It was their first Yulemas together as a couple, and in their new house, so their first tree needed to be special.

Honestly, though, Aelin would have thought that _Rowan_ would be the one picking out tree after tree while she nitpicked at all of the reasons why it wasn’t ‘just right’. But so far, it had been the opposite. Rowan was finding fault in every tree she pointed to, despite them all being perfectly acceptable.

“Alright,” she agreed. And she wouldn’t lie, she did want a tree that was taller. 

And so their search continued. 

They had passed this tree lot on their way home from work and Rowan had insisted they go back, saying they should get a live tree instead of a plastic one. It was getting fairly late and they had been here for quite some time now, the sky above had long since darkened, stars blinking awake in the expanse of blue-black. Strands of colored lights hung from the metal rafters above, illuminating the walkways between the aisles of trees. And this place…

The scent of pine was so thick in the air, it was intoxicating. And maybe it was just because Rowan always smelled of pine but… She could stay here forever.

Aelin followed her boyfriend further into the winding maze, inspecting tree after tree, but none were to either of their liking. 

As Rowan set off down yet another corridor, Aelin smiled up at the back of his silver head, covered by a dark gray beanie. He had fully thrown his efforts and enthusiasm into finding a tree, and it both surprised and warmed something inside her. She sidled up next to him and slipped her gloved hand into his as they walked. Rowan glanced down at her and gave her a crooked smile, shifting his hand to weave their fingers together.

“So, buzzard,” she prompted coyly, “are you going to tell me why you’re being pickier than me over a Yulemas tree?”

Rowan looked down at her again, silver brows nearly disappearing under the edge of his cap as they rose in surprise. His mouth twisted into a slight frown. “I just… want to make up for missing this last year,” he admitted finally, his voice rough.

Aelin blinked at him, her heart aching a bit. She had joked about him making up for missing holidays with her back on Samhain, but she hadn’t realized it really would bother him.

“That should have been our first Yulemas together,” he murmured ruefully.

She tightened her grip on his hand and tugged him to a stop. Rowan looked down at her curiously, a hint if sadness in his eyes, and Aelin rose onto her toes, lifting her hands to his face. She brushed her thumb over his cheekbone and leaned in to kiss him softly. 

“You have nothing to make up for, Rowan,” she told him firmly. He gave her a soft smile and lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. “Now! Let’s find a tree so we can go home and decorate it!” She grinned, scrunching up her nose, “Because it’s cold and I can’t feel my-”

But she cut off as she caught sight of a tree behind Rowan, tilting her head to look around his broad shoulder. 

Rowan arched a brow and turned, following her gaze. “Oh,” he breathed, so soft she barely heard it. 

The tree before them was a tall, white pine. It’s branches full and thick, the needles an unusual frosted color that was so stunning. 

Aelin couldn’t believe no one else had picked this tree yet. 

It was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Rowan caught her gaze, a smile tugging his lips. Apparently he thought so too.

~*~

They took their new tree home, the two of them working together to lug the massive pile of frosted green it into the living room to place in its stand. It fit perfectly in the space, the branches spread out wide, the tip top nearly touching the ceiling. 

Aelin was so giddy she couldn’t stand still, bouncing on her toes as she moved about the living room. Her excitement garnered several laughs from her boyfriend, prompting Aelin to stick her tongue out at him.

Laughing and flirting and chasing each other, they made their way up to the attic to find the lights and ornaments, both old and some newly purchased, to decorate the tree. They stopped to have a bit of fun with a mistletoe decoration before returning to the living room to set to work. 

Rowan was nearly finished stringing lights around the tree when Aelin, digging through the boxes, realized they didn’t have the tree topper. It was still upstairs.

“I’ll be right back,” she told him. Rowan merely grunted in response, continuing about his work as Aelin ran upstairs to their bedroom. She found the star right where she left it, still in the shopping bag, along with two other little ornaments she had bought as a surprise. 

She was making her way back downstairs, smiling, when she heard Rowan let out a yelp that was followed by a loud thump. Aelin ran the down the stairs to the living room, “Ro? Baby?" 

Aelin stopped short when she saw Rowan sitting on the floor, his ankles tangled up in the strand of lights. She burst out laughing at the scowl on his face. 

He directed his glower at her then, his green eyes narrowed in warning. _It’s not funny._

Still snorting, she kneeled down and easily untangled the lights from his feet, much to Rowan’s dismay. But she could feel his eyes on her face, watching her as she smiled and laughed, and she could tell he was having just as much fun as she was. Made more obvious by the slow smile that tugged at his lips. 

When she was finished, Aelin placed her hands on her knees and met his gaze, grinning, and she could see the warmth and love in his eyes. Rowan leaned towards her, pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. Aelin laughed, but as his kisses grew more insistent, she found herself leaning into him. He wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer, trailing his lips further down her neck to the curve of her shoulder, his teeth biting at a particularly sensitive spot that had her biting her own lip. 

Grinning, Aelin placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back slightly, finding the green of his eyes had darkened considerably. "Not until the tree is decorated, lovebird,” she chided, laughing softly. 

Rowan grumbled, but quickly got back to decorating, now with added motivation. They wrapped the tree in garlands and hung ornaments of gold and green and red and silver, until the tree was covered. Bright and colorful and shining.

Once that was done, and the star was placed atop the tree, Aelin brought out the two little ornaments she had bought as a surprise. One for him and one for her. A little hawk in flight, and red heart, its swirling wrought designs giving it a flame-like appearance. A fire heart.

A smile spread across Rowan’s face when he saw them, his eyes crinkling at the corners, a sight that always caused a warmth in her stomach, and he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. 

“Can you help me?” she asked sweetly, gesturing to the tree. 

The corner of his mouth twitched up. Instead of replying, Rowan leaned down, wrapping an arm around her legs before standing back up to his full height. Aelin let out a pealing laugh as he rose, lifting her as easily as if she weighed nothing at all.

He moved her closer to the tree, lifting her a little bit higher to reach the space near the top. Aelin placed one hand atop his head as she stretched her arm, hanging both of the little ornaments, side by side on a single branch. Together. 

Rowan lowered her back to the floor, her body sliding down his in a way that had fire skittering across her skin. And his too apparently, from the look he was giving her. But she turned back to the tree. “Turn the lights off, please, babe?”

He nodded and ventured across the room, flicking the light switch. The room darkened, but the glow from the tree was more than enough to see by. 

Warm, golden light filled the room, sparkling on the glitter and tinsel and decorations. It was beautiful and almost magical. And Aelin let out a gasp. “Oh, its perfect!” She bounced on her toes in excitement. “Row-”

Her words cut off as Rowan’s lips descended upon hers. He pulled her against him and kissed her until her head was spinning. “The tree is done,” he purred against her lips, the only explanation he offered. 

Aelin laughed, as he began nipping along her jaw. “So it is. This couldn’t wait until…” she paused to bite her lip, before finishing breathily, “until we walked upstairs?”

“No,” he growled, sinking to the floor and bringing her down with him.

~*~*~

Some time later, as they lay tangled together on the couch, Rowan turned his head to glance at their fully decorated Yulemas tree. He hadn’t paid much mind to it earlier. He had been a bit… _preoccupied_. 

But now he truly looked at it as he ran a hand down the back of Aelin’s head, fingers twirling through her golden waves before trailing down her spine. He could still feel the faint ridges of scars that remained on her skin, marks that still sent an ache through his chest. 

Aelin was curled against his side, her back to the cushions of the sofa and her chin resting on his chest. Her beautiful eyes were heavy-lidded and she was making a low contented noise in the back of her throat, almost like a hum, at his touches. His fingertip swirled in the small of her back before moving back up, and Aelin let out a purr. 

“You were right, love,” he said, smiling slightly. “The tree is perfect.” It really was. The soft glow of the lights, the way it glinted off of the ornaments and decorations. “We did a very good job,” he teased.

“Hmm. Yes.” she murmured, looking the tree over with a pleased smile. But then she narrowed her eyes, cocking her head to the side. 

Rowan laughed, “What is it?”

“That ornament right…” she pointed a finger at the tree, but which ornament she pointed to exactly, he wasn’t sure, “ _there_ needs to be moved a _liiiittle_ to the left.”

He burst out laughing. 


	9. snowed in - part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of the mistletoe prompt. I hope this makes up for the angstiness.

They had been planning this trip for months; a friends getaway to one of the Galathynius’ family cabins up in the Staghorns for Hogmanay and New Years. They had pre-booked rooms at an inn along the way, a necessary stop on the nearly two-day drive up to the cabin.

Aelin had been looking forward to it ever since they had decided on it. But now, it had become more of a means to distract herself and take her mind off of everything. The stress from the holiday, the impending return to school… and off of Rowan Whitethorn. Off of how he had literally blurted out that he loved her and then bolted from the room like a startled deer. And how he had been avoiding her like the plague ever since.

He had cancelled on the trip, calling Aedion to say that something had come up and he couldn’t make it. Both of which had made her feel even worse, the fact that it was obviously an excuse, and the fact that he had called her cousin instead of _her_. And it pissed her off. 

Was he really that dense? Was he that big of an idiot that he didn’t get it?

Well. At least there was _one_ positive thing that had come from that Yulemas party over a week ago. Thanks to some ‘relationship’ developments with some of their other friends, bunkmates for the nightly stop had been rearranged, and Aelin was now blessed with a room all to herself. And a huge bed that she could just barely reach across, even if she stretched out her arms and legs as far as she possibly could.

Still, Aelin felt hollow. An ache in her chest that only her missing best friend could sooth.

Just before nightfall, the gentle snow fall that had persisted all day turned into a storm. In a matter of minutes everything was covered in a thick layer of white. And they were all growing worried about how it would affect the second half of their trip the next day. 

But with the storm came a familiar black truck pulling up to the inn. Rowan.

He looked nervous as he approached them, saying that he felt terrible about backing out at the last minute and had decided to come after all. But when he had learned that there were no other vacant rooms available and the only one of them with room for him to stay was Aelin, he had paled.

The bastard had the audacity to suggest going back down the road to another motel that he had passed to find a room for the night, offering to catch up with them the next day. But a look from Aelin, and the fact that the roads were now too dangerous to travel on, shut that idiocy down very quickly. And the power in the building going out minutes later, thanks to the blizzard raging outside, also didn’t hurt the argument either. 

Once they returned to their room, Rowan had started a debate over where he would sleep for the night, insisting that he sleep on the floor. Aelin had called him a stubborn idiot and told him the bed was huge, and there was plenty of room. 

In the end, she had won the argument, thanks in no small part to the lack of electricity, and subsequently heat, so the warm bed was necessary over the cold floor.

Aelin ducked into the bathroom to change, using her phone flashlight to see. As she got ready for bed, she was practically breathing fire. Was he really, _really_ that oblivious that he couldn’t tell how she felt? She had thought she had made it obvious from the start, but apparently the buzzard didn’t know how to take a damn hint. So as she pulled on her nightgown, she decided she was just going to have to nudge him along for a little bit longer.

When she stepped back out into the room, Rowan was already settled in bed. He glanced over at her and his green eyes went wide as he sat bolt upright. “What is that?” he stammered slightly, his face turning a brilliant shade of crimson that was visible even in the dim light. 

Aelin glanced down at herself, at the shimmering, metallic gold silk that clung to her figure and left little to the imagination. “Festive, isn’t it?” she asked innocently, a coy smile tugging at her lips as she fiddled with the lace around the hem, sauntering over to the bed.

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked incredulously, struggling to keep his gaze from drifting below her shoulders.

“Nope.” It was an outright lie, but still she grinned, crawling into bed _much_ closer than necessary given the large mattress and Rowan tensed. “Good night, Rowan,” she said sweetly, settling down under the blankets.

She could still feel his eyes on her, feel the heat radiating off of him. Gods, who needed electric heat to keep them warm when Rowan was practically a furnace all on his own?

Smirking to herself, Aelin shifted so that her arm brushed against his, partially to mess with him some more, but mostly because she was, in fact, quite cold and wanted to leach his warmth. But a heartbeat later, he eased his arm away from hers, trying to keep the movement from seeming deliberate.

Aelin waited a full minute before she moved again, this time letting her bare leg touch his. Again, he scooted a little further away. 

Each time she inched closer, Rowan inched further away. She knew he was aware she was doing it on purpose by now, but it wasn’t going to stop her. He was nearly hanging off of the side of the bed by the time he had finally had enough. 

Rowan jumped up, groaning in frustration, and glowered at her. “Will you please stop?”

“No,” she replied stubbornly.

“Why are you doing this?” he demanded, his tone pained and full of desperation. She was pleased to see that his face was beet red.

Aelin sat up and crossed her arms over her chest. “Because I’m tired of waiting for _you_ to take a damn hint! How much more obvious do I have to be exactly?”

“Obvious about _what_?”

Gods, this infuriating man! Growling, Aelin rose onto her knees and grabbed his shirt collar, yanking him down to her to kiss him thoroughly. When she broke away, they were both breathing hard. Her skin felt hot, and it was like every part of her had been lit on fire, she was warm and tingling from her fingertips to her toes and everywhere in between. 

“Before you realize that I’m in love with you, too, you dumb buzzard,” she murmured against his lips. 

She heard his breath catch in his chest. “What?” he rasped. 

Aelin smiled. “I’m in love with you.”

Those green eyes she loved so much widened. “You love me?” he asked in disbelief, fingers curling against her sides.

Had he really not known? Had he truly no idea? 

She nodded, smiling up at him. “I have been for a while actually. I’ve been trying to get you to notice forever, and then at the party, I finally did something about it. And then you said you loved me, but you tore out of there without giving me a chance to respond.”

Rowan stared at her, his lips parting in shock, unsure of what to say. “Oh,” he finally breathed softly. “ _Oh_.”

“Did,” she glanced up at him hesitantly. “Did you mean it? It wasn’t just because you were drunk?” It was a fear that had hung over her since that night.

Rowan shook his head. “I wasn’t drunk,” he murmured. “And of course I meant it.” His voice was breathless, his accent more lilting than usual. “How could I not love you?”

Her throat tightened. “Then tell me again,” she requested softly, tugging him down with her as she laid back onto the bed again. She wanted, needed, to hear it again. Had wanted to hear those words from his lips for so long. 

A little smirk curled up the corners of his mouth. “I love you, Aelin.”

“Good,” she grinned up at him. “So, buzzard, are you going to finish what you started?”

His kiss was answer enough. 

And as the night went on, and as Rowan worshiped every inch of her with his hands, his mouth, as he claimed her body and showed her just how much he meant those words, Aelin found herself thinking that she wouldn’t mind at all if they were snowed in here at this little roadside inn, making their own warmth for a few more days.


	10. baking cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in my icydk au.

It was the day before Rowan’s birthday, three days before Yulemas, and Aelin was busy baking as many cookies as she could for the combination birthday and Yulemas party the next evening with the help of her three children. 

Aurelia and Aspen were currently chasing each other around the kitchen, waving spoons covered in cookie dough at each other and making an even bigger mess that she would have to clean up later. Eyas was helping her ice the cooled cookies, her youngest child nearly white from head to toe, every inch of him coated in flour. Oh she was really not looking forward to giving them all baths later.

From the other room, keys rattled and then the door opening alerted her that her husband had finally made it home and Aelin nearly sighed with relief as Rowan’s voice called, “What’s that smell?”

“ _Daddy_!” their two eldest cried, running out of the kitchen towards the living room door, their spoon-fight forgotten for the moment. 

Rowan appeared in the doorway a moment later, a five- and six-year-old hanging from either arm as he stepped into the kitchen. “Are we baking cookies?” he asked them, smiling. 

“Lookie what I made!” They released him, wanting down, and Rowan sat them on their feet. They both ran back to the counter pointing up at the cookies. 

“Those look so good!” Rowan said as he stepped over to inspect their work. 

Eyas ducked around Aelin’s legs and practically tackle-hugged Rowan’s. With a grin, Rowan scooped their youngest up into his arms, paying no mind to how it was covering his own clothing in flour. 

Rowan laughed softly, a smile on his face as he looked down at his son. “Who is that under all of this flour?” He brushed the white powder off of Eyas’s face. “There’s a little nose… and a chin. And two green eyes… Eyas? Is that you?” The little boy began giggling, nodding his head. 

Aelin smiled as Rowan sat the squirming three-year-old on his feet and he tore off to where his siblings where playing. Rowan came over to her side. He leaned over her shoulder, looking down at the cookies she was placing on the cooling rack. She held up a gingerbread man. “What do you think?”

He arched a silver brow. “Is it supposed to look that angry?” he asked, sounding very much like he were trying not to laugh.

“Yes! It’s supposed to be you,” she quipped back, smirking up at him. 

His green eyes narrowed. _You are going to regret that, princess._

_I’m looking forward to it_ , she smirked back. But then he reached over and picked up an iced cookie off of one of the plates and took a bite, and Aelin squawked. “Those are for the party!” She shoved his shoulder. “If you want a cookie, eat one of those!” she pointed to the pack of chocolate chip cookies from the grocery store. 

Rowan glanced over at the blue package and made a face before looking back at her. “I like these better.” And then the buzzard grabbed another. “No one will miss a few,” he reasoned, shoving the second ginger cookie into his mouth. 

And then he dipped a finger into one of the bowls of leftover icing and dabbed the red concoction on the end of her nose. Aelin gasped in surprise, her mouth falling open. 

The kids were laughing. “Mommy looks like a reindeer,” Aurelia giggled.

Rowan arched a brow and smiled at their daughter, “She does, doesn’t she!”

Aelin narrowed her eyes. While Rowan continued to smile at their children, she eased her hand into the bowl of extra flour on the counter, and before he could react she flung a handful at him. It hit him square in the face, coating him in white from his hair all the way down his shirt.

Rowan blinked a few times in shock, his own mouth falling open. 

“Now daddy looks like a snowman,” Aelin said matter-of-factly, smirking at her husband. The little ones were silent, their wide eyes darting between their parents. And then they began screeching with laughter.

And with that, the kitchen dissolved into an all out flour war. White powder was flying everywhere. The babies were squealing and running around the table and counter, chasing each other and dodging their parents. Even Fleetfoot wandered in from the living room to join in on the fun.

At one point Aurelia crawled under the table, her little brothers and the dog following after her, and Rowan had dropped to his hands and knees to crawl after them while growling like a bear. They screamed and darted out the other side, only to tackle their father to the floor when he followed them, their little flour covered hands patting all over his face until he was begging for mercy. 

Aelin was leaning against the counter, laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. 

When the last batch of cookies were finally done and set out to cool, they began to clean up flour and dough on the counters and floor. Even the little ones tried to help. Once the kitchen was back in satisfactory condition, Aelin turned at her children. “Do we want to watch a movie before bed?”

“Yes!” they cheered.

“Go get ready for bath time then.” Three little sets of feet ran off towards their rooms. 

Shaking her head, Aelin walked over to the sink were Rowan was finishing up the dishes. Leaning next to him with a sly smirk, she said, “Have I ever told you how unbelievably sexy it is to see you doing house work?”

“You may have mentioned it once or twice,” he crooned, drying his hands on a dishtowel. He moved around before her, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her and pinning her there. Aelin looked at him expectantly. He arched a brow in response, amusement sparking in his eyes. And then his hands were on her hips as he leaned into her, mindful of her rounded belly, and kissed her deeply. 

Aelin hummed against his lips. “I really should go be a good mother right about now…” she mumbled. 

He kissed her again, with a grumble of his own, and reluctantly, released her. “I’ll get some cups down for some hot chocolate, yeah?”

“Ooh,” she groaned. “If I didn’t know any better, and I wasn’t already pregnant, I’d think you were trying to seduce me, buzzard.”

“Who says I’m not?” he challenged, grinning and giving her a wicked look, as he reached up into the cabinet to for the kids’ spill-proof cups. When he glanced away, she grabbed the dishtowel off the counter and slapped him across the backside with it. At his startled noise, she darted off, as quickly and as carefully as she could, cackling as she went to help her children. 


	11. snow day

A small, warm hand on his shoulder had shaken Rowan awake that morning. He had opened his eyes to find his mate smiling down at him, her head propped lazily on a fist and a mischievous gleam in her brilliant turquoise and gold eyes.

He had instantly known that she was up to something, and he hadn’t had to wait long to find out what exactly it was. 

“Run away with me,” she whispered. 

He laughed. “What?”

She had bitten her lip, rising onto her elbows as she leaned over him, pressing kisses to his bare shoulder. “I said…,” another kiss, higher this time, “run away with me. Just for today. Let’s go have some _fun_ , buzzard.”

Being unable to deny his queen anything, that was how Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius came to find himself running through the thick tangle of Oakwald forest in the snow, as he and his wife waged war on each other.

Aelin darted with fae speed between two gnarled pines to his right, laughing quietly. A heartbeat later, two snowballs came flying at his head with expert precision. He evaded them both, and sent a dozen hurling back at her with his magic. 

From the outraged cry from behind the trees, at least a one of them had met its mark. 

“That’s not fair, buzzard!” she yelled. “We agreed, no magic!”

Rowan grinned wickedly and sent another horde flying for her. 

The sizzle of melting snow met his pointed ears as Aelin threw up a shield of flame to block them all. And then her golden head popped out from behind the tree, her lovely face set in a scowl.

“No magic, fireheart,” he taunted back.

She growled at him, her dainty little canines flashing in the late evening sun. And then she lunged.

Rowan took off running. 

~*~

Aelin chased her husband as he wove between the trees, leaping over low limbs and fallen shrub as easily as if he were stepping over a twig. 

Gods, sometimes she forgot how fast he was. How beautifully he moved. Like the wind that coursed through his veins. 

Every time she would gain on him or get close enough to touch him, he would duck out of her reach. He would spin and dodge her outstretched arms with a booming laugh that echoed off the trees and sent a thrill sparking through her blood and had her laughing, too. 

Getting an idea, Aelin cut off to the left. She willed her legs to move faster, trying to get far enough a head of him. She kept running, until curiosity got the better of him and she could hear Rowan following behind her. Perfect.

And then she ducked down to wait.

When she saw the flash of green from Rowan’s cloak as he stepped before her hiding spot, she leapt. And Aelin let out a triumphant cry as her arms snaked around his waist. 

Her tackle knocked him off of his feet, and they both went tumbling to the ground, laughing as they rolled down an embankment and landed in a deep drift of snow.

They were both covered from head to toe, the white puffs caught in their hair and caked on their clothing. It had even gone down Aelin’s shirt and in her boots, getting her socks soggy.

Paying it no mind, she pushed herself up slightly and grinned down at Rowan. He smiled back, and she could feel each of his heavy breaths with the way their chests were flush against each other. 

She couldn’t help but think how beautiful he was. With his usually harsh features smoothed, his silver hair mussed from the wind, nose and cheeks flushed with cold, giving him an almost boyish charm. His eyes were bright and shining, like dark emerald pools. 

Unable to help herself, Aelin leaned down and kissed him. Rowan’s hands wove into her hair in response, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened.

“Fireheart,” he murmured against her lips after a moment.

“Yes,” she hummed back.

He grinned crookedly. “As fun as this has been… I lost feeling in my toes some time ago.”

Aelin laughed, her forehead falling onto his chest. And Rowan laughed, too, his hands moving down to her shoulders. Still snorting, she looked down at him again. “Poor, buzzard. Do you want me to set you on fire to warm you back up?” she teased.

Rowan huffed another laugh. “You could do that, or… we could warm up in other ways,” he said roughly, as he trailed his fingers down her spine. Even through the thick layers of clothing, the touch caused heat to pool in her stomach. 

“Mmm,” she purred. “I like the sound of that. I’m thinking a nice, long, hot…" 

Rowan arched a brow. 

“.. bath.”

He made a face.

She smirked, “You know, they say the best way to warm someone up is to share body heat. And the best way to share body heat… is to get naked.”

Rowan growled, pulling her down for another claiming kiss. 

“Both of which we can do in a tub…,” she added breathlessly, kissing him again. And then she pushed herself to her feet, leaving Rowan to sit there in the drift, staring after her as she sauntered back up the embankment, making sure to add extra sway to her hips with each step and brushing snow off of her as she went.

Halfway up, she paused and glanced back at him with a quirked a brow. “… _if_ you can catch me before I make it back to the castle, prince.”

And with that, Aelin tore off through the trees, a low snarl echoing behind her. 

Rowan caught her easily, long before highest towers of the castle became visible through the twisted canopy of the trees.


	12. looking for something, fireheart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in my icydk au.

Aelin glared at the rumpled sheet clutched between her hands, muttering darkly under her breath. And then, just for good measure, she glared at the mockingly-empty shelves of the linen closet. The former contents of those shelves were lying in messy heaps around her feet. 

With a resigned sigh, Aelin sat down amidst the mounds of cotton and began the monumental task of trying to refold them all, as quickly and as neatly as possible. She didn’t want to leave behind any obvious signs that she had been rifling though the closet for Rowan to find, so she tried to at least halfway fold them back decently. 

Rowan was working bit later than usual this evening, so for a while, Aelin hadn’t had to worry about her boyfriend walking in and catching her as she scoured the house for wherever the sneaky bastard had hidden her Yulemas presents. But so far, all of her searching had turned up empty.

It was Yulemas eve, and there wasn’t a single present from Rowan beneath their tree with her name on it. She knew, because she had checked every single day since presents had started being placed under the tree. 

Aelin was even more giddy and excited than usual for Yulemas this year, because it was her and Rowan’s first one together. And befitting the occasion, Aelin had gone all out, buying Rowan a ton of gifts, so the lack of presents from her love had left her feeling a bit disheartened. 

It wasn’t that she was afraid Rowan hadn’t gotten her anything, she knew he had, but he had been so careful and secretive about it that it was driving her crazy. She was dying to know what he had gotten her. 

In the middle of attempting to refold a sheet, Aelin let out an exasperated huff and glanced over at the drowsy little ball of golden fur curled up on one of the towels a few feet away. Sensing her attention, the puppy lifted her head and looked up at Aelin with big brown eyes, her tiny curled tail wagging slightly. 

“Do _you_ know where he hid my presents?” she asked Fleetfoot. After three hours of searching she was feeling rather desperate at this point, but her puppy merely yawned and shook her little head, the tag on her collar jingling like a bell. “Well, you’re no help,” Aelin muttered, pouting as she continued about her work.

She had nearly searched the entire house already. From top to bottom; every closet, every cabinet and cupboard and drawer, the attic and the garage and the basement and all the rooms in between. She had even searched both of the bathrooms. 

In fact, the only place she hadn’t looked was in her and Rowan’s bedroom. It had just seemed too obvious a choice but… maybe that was the point? Perhaps because it was so obvious, that it made it the perfect place to actually hide something. 

With a grin, Aelin quickly finished refolding the linens and stashed them all back on their proper shelves, crossing her fingers and hoping for the best that Rowan wouldn’t notice any difference, and ventured back into the living room. As she hurriedly made her way towards the stairs, she glanced over at the clock. It was nearly six. 

It was only about half an hour until Rowan would be on his way home. She had to hurry. 

Without wasting another second, Aelin ran up the stairs on sock clad feet, sliding as she shuffled down the hall and into their bedroom. Immediately, she began digging through the drawers of Rowan’s clothing. His, because he knew that she would notice if he moved so much as a sock. 

Rowan’s jeans and underwear and socks went flying through the air as she tossed them onto the floor and bed behind her. When she had searched every one, she moved to the closet; rifling through the pockets of his shirts and jackets, on the shelf above the clothing and on the closet floor. Still she found nothing. 

Gods, why did he have to be so good at this? Grumbling and cursing her boyfriend’s name, she began searching the rest of the room, under the bed, beneath the mattress, inside both bedside tables. She had even looked behind all of the books on her bookshelf. 

Nothing. There was absolutely nothing. 

With a sinking feeling, Aelin stood beside the foot of the bed and ran a reassessing gaze about the room, searching for anything she might have missed, might have overlooked. She was honestly beginning to wonder if perhaps she was wrong. Maybe Rowan _hadn’t_ gotten her anything. With a defeated grumble, she planted her fists on her hips and glared at the mess that she would now be tasked with cleaning. 

She stalked over to the where a pair of his jeans were laying strewn on the throw rug and picked them up. She gave them a frustrated shake and began folding them to place them back in the drawer. All the while, muttering to herself. Where in Hellas’s dark realm had Rowa-

“Looking for something, fireheart?” a familiar voice purred from behind her.

Aelin startled, dropping the newly refolded jeans just short of the drawer she had been about to place them in. Face heating, she slowly turned on her heel to face the owner of that voice. Rowan was leaning against the doorframe, one silver brow quirked and an amused smirk on his handsome face. 

She fidgeted nervously under his gaze, tapping her fingers on her thigh as she bit her lip. “What gave you that idea?” Aelin asked as innocently as possible, never mind that she had been caught red-handed. 

He snorted softly. “Oh, I don’t know…,” he shrugged a shoulder, “maybe it’s because the room looks like a hurricane just blew through it?”

Aelin pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing. “Fine,” she huffed, crossing her arms. “But it’s _your_ fault!”

Rowan barked out a laugh, pushing off of the door frame and ambling across the room to stand before her, “And how is it my fault, princess?” His pine green eyes held her gaze evenly, their depths alight with that familiar playfulness she loved and the utter amusement he felt at having caught her snooping around. 

She glared up at him. “If you would have just put my presents under the tree instead of hiding them, or better yet, just _told_ me what you got me, none of this mess would have happened!” She waved a hand at the mess behind her.

Rowan’s his eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned. “I knew you were up to something the second you stepped into my office to tell me you were leaving. You were much too excited when I said I would be late…" He flicked her on the chin.

Aelin batted his hand away, making a face at her boyfriend. "Rowan…" 

"No,” he cut her off, that infuriating grin still tugging at his lips. 

Her eyes narrowed at him. “Rowan,” she began again, her tone pouting. “Where did you hide my presents, buzzard?”

“I’m not telling,” he laughed, and then his arm snaked around her waist, tugging her against him. She let out a squeak of surprise, her hands coming to rest on his chest, as he leaned down to press kisses to the spot below her ear. He was trying to distract her, the bastard. And unfortunately, it was working. 

Aelin bit her lip to keep from whining as he nipped along her neck, his tongue flicking against her skin teasingly. “What did you get me?” she asked, she tried desperately to keep her voice steady, but failed miserably, the words coming out breathless. 

She felt Rowan smile against her skin before he scraped his teeth over that spot between her shoulder and neck, at the same time his hands drifted lower. And Aelin arched against him, her toes curling in her socks as heat flared through her. 

“You can wait another twenty-four hours to open your presents, love,” Rowan whispered roughly, his lips skimming back up her throat. 

Her eyes snapped open. “ _Twenty-four hours_?” she demanded, pulling away from his distracting hands and his distracting mouth to stare up at him incredulously. That would be tomorrow evening. “You’re not serious?” The look he gave her said he absolutely was. “Come one, can’t I have just one?” she pleaded. “The smallest one? Please, baby?" 

For a heartbeat, an almost fearful look flashed through Rowan’s eyes, but Aelin blinked and when she looked again it had vanished, replaced with a wicked glint that had heat pooling in her stomach. 

Rowan leaned in to her again, a smug little smirk tugging at his lips as he pulled her closer. "I could distract you while you wait,” he growled, and she could feel the rumble of it through her body with the way their chests were pressed together. He ducked down and pressed little biting kisses along her jaw once more. 

Aelin grinning as Rowan backed her towards the bed. “I’m still mad at you,” she muttered, and felt his laugh puff against her cheek as he nipped at her ear. “But I guess that’s an acceptable distraction,” she agreed, smiling as she looped her arms around his shoulders. 

Rowan’s lips found hers at that. And distract her he did. 

~*~*~

The shifting of a warm body beside him pulled Rowan from his slumber. His eyes fluttered open, taking in the still dark room around him. It was early, the dim glow from the other side of the drawn curtains telling him it was not quite yet dawn on Yulemas morning. 

A soft, muffled snore caught his attention and Rowan turned to look at the young woman sleeping next to him. And a smile tugged at his lips. 

Aelin appeared to still be sound asleep, but she was so buried beneath a mound of blankets that he couldn’t be sure. All he could see of her were her eyebrows and the top of her golden head. 

Huffing a quiet laugh, Rowan slipped out from beneath the arm she had loosely draped across his middle, careful so as not to wake her, and climbed out of their bed, a shiver going through his body as his bare feet touched the cold floor. He padded carefully around the mess of clothing that still littered the floor until he found a pair of old sweatpants and a tshirt to tug on, and then he eased out of the room and made his way downstairs to the living room.

The light from the Yulemas tree cast the room in a warm, golden glow and Rowan made his way towards it. From her little bed next to the tree, Fleetfoot lifted her head and eyed him sleepily as he approached. He kneeled down next to her, patting her on the head with a smile. 

“Hey there, girl,” he murmured quietly. The puppy simply let out a whining yawn and lay her head back down.

Laughing softly, Rowan ducked down to dig through the presents piled beneath the tree. Searching for what he had hidden there the previous evening when he had arrived home from work and realized that Aelin was preoccupied upstairs. 

His fingers closed around a small, familiarly-shaped box. Careful and quiet, he extracted it from where he had stashed it; in the very back, beneath all of the other presents. So it would hopefully go unnoticed by his girlfriend.

Rowan smiled down at the little square present, wrapped up in gold paper and adorned with a red ribbon. His heart beat a little faster as he thought about what lay inside that box. 

He had known that Aelin would snoop around for her gifts, so he had taken the proper precautions and hidden her presents in the one place he knew with utmost certainty that she would never think to look. With Lorcan. 

Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered to hide anything from her so well, but for this… this was one gift that he had wanted to keep a surprise until the very end.

Chewing nervously at the inside of his lip, Rowan studied the little box resting in the palm of his hand. He had planned to wait until this evening to give this to her. After dinner, he was going to pull her away for a moment alone, but now… 

He couldn’t wait any longer.

Rowan hooked a finger through a loop in the ribbon and tugged, until it slipped free of its bow and slithered down to pool on the floor next to his knee. And then he quietly peeled away the golden paper until he was holding a simple black velvet box. He was vaguely aware of Fleetfoot taking an interest in the discarded wrapping paper as he slowly opened the tiny box and, hardly daring to breathe, gazed down at the emerald engagement ring nestled within.

The stone was as beautiful and stunning and unique as the woman it was for. The woman sleeping upstairs in their bed, who had held his heart in her hands, almost from the very first moment they had met. Well, maybe not sleeping any longer, if the soft sound of footsteps moving around above were any indication. 

But Rowan knew, he didn’t want to go another hour, another minute, another second longer, without knowing that Aelin would be his wife. 

So as their bedroom door opened and he heard Aelin tiptoeing down the stairs, Rowan closed the ring box and stood, his heart pounding wildly with anticipation as he turned to face the stairs. Just as Aelin appeared. Her golden hair disheveled from sleep, she was tugging her robe on over the shirt she now wore.

One of _his_ shirts. A warmth pooled in his stomach and he was highly tempted to just scoop her up and whisk her back up the stairs. 

But then Aelin glanced over the banister, her beautiful turquoise eyes landing on him and seeming to brighten with delight. The vivid gold cores around her pupils were practically glowing from within, visible even from the distance, and Rowan’s breath hitched in his chest.

Gods, he loved her. Loved her so much he couldn’t breathe some times. So much his heart felt as if it might burst at any second. 

Rowan could only stare as she walked the short distance across the room to stand before him. Hardly dared to breathe as she cast a curious glance down at Fleetfoot wrestling with that discarded bit of wrapping paper before she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. 

“What are you doing up so early, buzzard?” she asked, her voice soft and low from sleep. 

He lifted a hand and ran his fingers along her cheek, brushing her hair back behind her ear. His eyes drank in every detail of the moment, the soft look on her face that he wanted to remember forever. 

Aelin’s brows furrowed curiously at his continued silence, and he smoothed a fingertip over the little crinkle. “Rowan?” she asked again. 

Rowan smiled down at the love of his life, his reason for breathing, and his fingers curled a bit more tightly around the ring box in his hand, partially hidden behind his hip. “There is something I need to ask you, fireheart,” he murmured softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, that’s all y'all get ;)


	13. snowy date night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when I was writing this, I didn’t have anything specific in mind but it could work as a follow up to both ‘hold me, it’s cold’ or 'mistletoe/snowed inn'. So enjoy! ;)

Aelin fastened her earring as she walked over to the window in her and Rowan’s bedroom and glanced out at the snow that continued to fall without respite. In the span of time it had taken her to shower and get dressed, everything outside had turned white, the roads stretched on like smooth ribbons into the distance, unmarred by tire tracks of any kind.

Glancing out across the city from their apartment window, she saw that the rest of Orynth looked the same. No one was venturing out, not even the snowplows.

She sighed. It looked like their dinner reservation was going to have to be cancelled. There was no way they would be able to get the car out of the garage and onto the street, and even if they could, the roads were likely much too dangerous to travel. 

Aelin wandered towards the bedroom door but stopped for a moment to glance at herself in the mirror. The deep crimson dress that fell to her knees, with its long fitted sleeves and sheer back of black lace. Her golden hair had been twisted into an elegant braided bun, held in place with bejeweled hair combs. The makeup she had painstakingly done to perfection. All that hard work for nothing. 

With another sigh, she padded down the hall on bare feet, looking for boyfriend. She found Rowan in the kitchen, staring out the window. His fingers drummed nervously on the kitchen counter, mouth set in a hard line as he glowered at the grey sky above, as if he could _make_ the snow stop falling by sheer force ofwill. 

She sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his upper arm. “Looks like our fancy date night will have to be postponed,” she said lightly, trying to keep the disappointment out of her tone. They had had this reservation for months, and she had really been looking forward to it.

Rowan groaned softly, and when she looked up at him, he looked so deeply troubled by the development that she blinked. “I’m sorry, fireheart,” he grumbled, sounding disheartened. 

Aelin eyed him. Going out to eat at fancy restaurants was something Rowan wasn’t particularly fond of, so she didn’t quite understand why he was so disappointed. 

Still, she lifted a hand to his jaw and turned his face so he would look at her. “It’s fine, babe. It’s not your fault that you can’t control the weather.” And then she rose onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his jaw, his chin, his lips. And then she smiled. “I have a better idea of something else we can do anyway.”

Rowan arched a silver brow.

~*~

They both changed out of their dinner finery and into much comfier clothing, Rowan into sweats and one of his favorite old band tees and Aelin into holiday themed thermals and knee socks, much to Rowan’s amusement. After, Aelin sent Rowan into the kitchen to call in and cancel their reservation, and to prepare some snacks and hot chocolate while she set to work on her plan.

When she was finished, she took a moment to admire her handy work before calling out to her boyfriend, “Okay, you can come back in now.”

Rowan wandered into the living room, carrying a ginormous bowl of popcorn, and stopped dead in his tracks, his green eyes widening slightly. 

She had turned off all of the lights except for the Yulemas tree, the soft light giving the room flickering, romantic glow, and to add to the effect, she had even brought out several battery-powered candles, setting them on the coffee table and fireplace mantel, and all over the floor around the nest she had made out of pillows and blankets in the space between the couch and sofa chair. More blankets were draped over the backs and arms of the furniture, effectively creating a little blanket cave. She even had a little movie marathon lined up on the tv, ready and waiting to press play on the remote.

A slow smile spread across Rowan’s handsome face as he made his way across the room to where she stood. 

“It’s no romantic dinner at a five star restaurant but…” she shrugged.

“Fireheart,” he breathed softly, voice full of awe. “It’s perfect. _You_ are perfect. You know that, right?” His face was lit up with such an adoring expression. 

She gave him a cheeky grin. “Of course I do. It’s just one of the _many_ reasons you love me.”

Rowan shook his head, smiling, as he leaned down to kiss her. Once, twice, three times. And just for good measure, he nipped the end of her nose as he pulled back, causing her to bat her hands at his face. 

“Now, buzzard… let’s have a date night!”

And so they did, curling up in Aelin’s pillow fort with hot cocoa and popcorn and chocolates to watch cheesy, holiday romcoms. It was perfect. Far better than any date at a restaurant, because it was just the two of them.

They had long since finished off the food and were now just lying back amidst the pile of pillows. Aelin curled into Rowan’s side, nestling her head in the curve of his shoulder. He had wrapped his arm around her to hold her close as they watched the latest movie in their marathon.

She was so absorbed by the sweet love confession playing out on the screen, her eyes tearing up, that she was only vaguely aware that Rowan was watching her more than the movie. Hardly noticed as he slipped a hand into the pocket of his dark green sweats to pull something out. 

And then, so softly the words were barely more than a breath, he whispered, “Marry me, fireheart.”

Aelin’s lips parted and she turned to look up at him in confusion. She was certain she had misheard him. That she only _thought_ she heard what she thought she heard because of what was going on in the movie.

But his heartbreaking pine green eyes were on her face and the look they held was so soft, so serious and full of love, that it stole her breath from her lungs. “What?” she rasped out.

“Marry me,” he repeated, his voice a low rumble, and then he sat up. Aelin moved over, turning to face him as he held a little box up between them, opening it to reveal a rectangular cut emerald set on a gold band. 

She could only gape at him, eyes widening in shock. So she hadn’t been mistaken about what she heard. And he… Her hand lifted to cover her mouth as realization dawned on her, the tears finally escaped her eyes to spill down her cheeks. “That… That’s why you were so-” Her heart was pounding so wildly that it stole the words from her. 

Rowan nodded, swallowing hard. He continued to watch her closely, gauging her reaction. He looked terrified. Silly man. Didn’t he know that he had nothing to be terrified of?

“Aelin,” he began, “I know it-”

She didn’t give him a chance to finish, or even really begin, interrupting what was sure to be a beautiful speech that would have reduced her to a sobbing mess by grabbing his face in her hands and pulling him down to claim his lips in a searing kiss. Rowan’s arms wrapped around her waist to pull her closer, mindful of the ring box still in his hand.

Aelin pulled back only far enough to murmur against his lips, “Yes." 

"Yes?” he blinked, as if he were actually surprised at her answer. As if there were any other possible answer she could give. 

She smiled against his lips and repeated, “Yes.” She kissed him again, and again, tears staining her cheeks once more. And they might have been her own, or his, or both. 

Slowly, and reluctantly, Rowan pulled away. With surprisingly steady hands, he took the ring from the box and slid it on the third finger of her left hand. And then he kissed the backs of her fingers, and then her knuckles. And then he was kissing her mouth again, whispering his love for her against her lips, breathing it into her heart and soul. 

As the night went on, Aelin couldn’t help but laugh as she thought about how this was like a real life holiday romance movie, but so, _so_ much better.


	14. i put a spell on you - part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the ToGxHp au drabble i put a spell on you.

With a wistful sigh, Aelin came to the end of the page she was reading and quickly flipped to the next one. 

It was late, past midnight now. She knew all too well that Yulemas Eve at the castle was always eventful and that she should have gone to bed a while ago but the story was just getting to the good part. The handsome prince was in the middle of confessing his undying love for his queen, and Aelin _had_ to know what would happen ne- 

_Bang_. 

Aelin nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden loud noise, her slipping from between her fingers and tumbling to the floor. She quickly pushed herself up to peer over the back of the plush green chair she was sitting in. 

That noise, like something heavy landing on the floor, had come from upstairs. 

Half a heartbeat later, there was a muffled yelp followed by another loud thump. A door slammed and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the stairwell. 

And then Rowan appeared, now clad in his pajamas, his shirt rumpled and silvery-white hair charmingly mussed. He stumbled over his own socked-clad feet, and the only thing that prevented him from taking a tumble was his hand quickly shooting out to grasp the handrail just as he lost his balance. Though he still slid down several steps on his knees. 

Aelin winced slightly at what likely hurt like hell, but Rowan seemed completely unfazed by it, quickly righting himself back to his feet. And then he was moving again, striding across the common room with long purposeful steps. 

A laugh escaped Aelin’s lips at her boyfriend’s unusually clumsy behavior and Rowan halted in his tracks, his green eyes snapping around to alight on her. There was such a dumbfounded expression on his face as he looked at her that Aelin found herself laughing again. 

She twisted around in the chair until she was kneeling in the seat, crossing her arms atop the back of the chair. “If you came back for more last minute birthday kisses, you clumsy buzzard, you’re a little late,” she teased with a grin. “You’re birthday ended some time ago. _Buuuut_ … I think I can make an exception." 

Rowan just blinked at her in response, giving her a confused look. His turned his head slightly as his eyes flitted about the room, as if he thought there might be someone else in the room that she was speaking to instead of him. 

Aelin pouted when he didn’t play along. He had probably come back to scold her for not going to bed. Rolling her eyes, she clambered out of the chair, stopping momentarily to pick up the book she had dropped before moseying over to her boyfriend. "I know, I know,” she grumbled, “I said I would go to bed as soon as I finished the chapter but it was just getting exciting and…” She trailed off as she realized that…

Rowan still hadn’t said anything. He was still giving her that same weird look, silver brows drawn together in confusion. As if she had grown a second head or was speaking in a language that he didn’t understand. His green eyes shifted nervously, flitting over to the common room door before returning on her face, and Aelin’s own brow furrowed in concern. “Rowan? Are you okay?" 

He cast another distracted glance about the room, as if he were in a daze. "I need to find Lyria,” he murmured.

Aelin blinked surprise. “Lyria?” she asked in confusion. That certainly was not what she had expected. Why would he need to-

Rowan’s eyes took on a dreamy, far-off look. “I have to tell her I love her,” he sighed wistfully.

The book Aelin was holding slipped from between her fingers, landing with a loud thump on the floor next to her toes. Surely she had misheard. “W-what did you say?” she asked slowly.

“Lyria,” he repeated, a dopey grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’m in love with her.”

Hurt flared through every fiber of her being at Rowan’s unexpected declaration, and she staggered back half of a step. But it was quickly replaced by irritation. 

He was picking on her. He had to be. Because there was no other logical explanation that he- She couldn’t even finish the thought. 

As much as Aelin loved a good prank, this was a bit much. And of all the topics he could have chosen, he had gone with this one? 

“This isn’t _funny_ , Rowan,” she said, scowling up at him. If he thought that just because it was his birthday that she would let him off easy for this, he was sorely mis-

“It’s not supposed to be _funny_ ,” he countered with the utmost seriousness, leveling an annoyed glare at _her_. But then his eyes glazed over and he shouldered past her, wandering almost drunkenly over to the large wall of windows that overlooked Oakwald forest beyond the castle. He dropped down onto the floor, crossing his long legs beneath him as he gazed up at the moon that now peeking between the clouds. Another heavy sigh passed between his lips.

Aelin gaped at him, unable to comprehend her boyfriend’s strange behavior. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Unless _she_ was… wrong. 

Just then, another commotion sounded from behind them. Aelin glanced over her shoulder just as Connall and Fenrys came stomping down the stairs, wands drawn and looking ready for a brawl, Fenrys with a hand cupping his nose. Both twins halted abruptly when they saw her standing there. 

They must have noticed how upset she looked, for their brows drew together in twin looks of concern, their dark eyes scanned her from head to toe. And then Fenrys glared over top of her head at Rowan. “Waddah ell iv won wifoo,” he demanded. Or tried to. He sounded very much like his nose had been broken.

Rowan, however, paid nary a one of them any mind. He simply continued to stare out the window at the moon like some love drunk sap, drawing little symbols and hearts and swirls on the windowpane with a finger.

Arching a brow, Aelin turned her gaze back to the twins, “What happened?” she asked Connall, since she couldn’t make sense of a word Fenrys was saying. 

The dark-haired twin made a face, crossing his arms over his chest. His wand was still gripped tightly in his fist as he eyed Rowan warily, as if expecting to have to defend himself at any second. “He cast a body-bind spell on me, and then punched Fen in the nose.”

“Ah ee ongide ee,” Fen muttered.

Aelin’s brows shot up in alarm, her eyes darting back over to her boyfriend. “Something is wrong with him. He was fine a few minutes ago when he went upstairs.” What in the wyrd could have happened in the past twenty minutes to cause such a shift in his behavior.

Fenrys’s face brightened suddenly. “Ee wav noma hill ee ay dah han-vee,” he said then, turning to look at her.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, not understanding a word that Fenrys had said. Connall apparently shared the sentiment, given the way his lip curled back from his teeth as he eyed his brother. “What?” they both asked in unison.

“Han-vee,” Fen repeated, as if whatever he was saying was obvious. He lifted his hands to his mouth and pecked his fingers against his lips in a bird-beak gesture. “Ee ay oon an-”

“Oh, for Mala’s sake!” Aelin snarled as she whipped out her wand and pointed it at Fenrys’s face. A quick bark of the counter curse and Fenrys let out a gasp as his tongue suddenly straightening out in his mouth. 

Fenrys worked his jaw back and forth experimentally, his expression brightening. “Thanks,” he grinned at Aelin. And then he jabbed his elbow into Connall’s ribs, giving him a dirty look that clearly asked, _why didn’t you do that_? He turned back to Aelin. “He ate a pastry out of that candy box on his bed and then started rambling on about Lyria,” he finally explained clearly, though his voice still sounded a bit nasally. His nose likely was broken.

From over by the window, Rowan perked up. “Lyria?” he asked excitedly. Aelin glanced over at her boyfriend and found him half turned towards them, his eyes wide and bright at the mention of the other girl. “I love Lyria.”

Fen waved a hand dismissively, rolling his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, that’s nice Rowan.”

But Rowan ignored the sarcasm of the statement. “She’s so nice,” he sighed again, turning back around to the window to look up at the moon once more. “And her hair is so brown… Like dirt.”

Despite the situation, and how concerned she was for her boyfriend, Aelin had to bite her lip to keep from laughing aloud at Rowan’s not-so-flattering comparison. But Fenrys apparently had no such restraint, snorting loudly, before he winced, his hands flying back up to his nose.

“So that’s what she was up to,” Connall mused quietly, his dark brows drawn together as he studied Rowan carefully. 

“What?”

“Who?”

Connall’s mouth twisted down at one corner. “L… Lyria,” he said quietly, so as not to alert Rowan. “She gave me that box earlier tonight, at dinner. She said it was a birthday present but that she didn’t want him to know it was from her because he wouldn’t accept it. But she seemed off. Nervous.” He pursed his lips thoughtfully. 

Aelin followed his gaze back to Rowan. The silver-haired boy was now breathing on the cold windowpane to make it cloud up. He then proceeded to scribble little _R+L_ ’s all over the patch of condensation. As she watched, something twisted painfully in Aelin’s chest.

But then Con let out a gasp, his face lighting up with realization. “She spiked those pastries with a love potion.”

Aelin’s eyes widened in alarm.

“That smelly thing we made in Potions class earlier this year?” Fen asked.

“Yes,” Connall nodded. “She was in our class too. So she knows how to make it.”

If Connall was right…. Aelin bit her lip. _Oh Rowan_. Her heart ached for her boyfriend and what he was going through at the moment. But she was also pissed. Not at Rowan, no, none of this was his fault. It was Lyria’s. Trying to force Rowan to take her back with a love potion? Aelin was furious enough to breath fire. She wanted to go find Lyria and turn her into a garden gnome.

But right now, they needed to get Rowan a cure for that love potion. Lyria could wait.

Forcing her anger back down to a simmer, Aelin looked up at the twins “We need to get him to the infirmary,” she told them. Con and Fen both nodded in agreement. 

Good. Now came the tricky part of convincing Rowan to go with them. She turned back to the window. “Hey, Rowa-” and her voice died on her lips.

Because Rowan wasn’t there. “Rowan?” She called, her eyes darting about the common room. “Rowan!” Where had he- 

The familiar low grumbling of the common room entry door echoed down the hallway to their right. Oh no. 

“Rowan!” Aelin yelled, her voice rising with her panic as she took off towards the doors. 

One of the twins hissed behind her, “Damn it!" 

Aelin shoved against the heavy door, forcing it open before it had had time to full shut, pushing her way out into the hall. She was vaguely aware of the twins joining her a moment later, and Mort’s hurled threats and insults about being disturbed in the middle of the night. 

But Aelin paid them no mind as she scanned the halls for her boyfriend. But he was no where to be seen. 

~*~

There was no question as to where Rowan was going. Aelin knew. So did the twins. And sure enough, when they rounded the corner into the castles long western corridor several minutes later, there he was. Pacing back and forth before the entrance of the Crochan common room. 

Aelin let out a heavy sigh of relief at the sight of her boyfriend, thankful he hadn’t done anything stupid in the brief minutes they had lost track of him. 

Rowan was running his hands through his short silver hair, clearly frustrated as he argued with the portrait that served as the door to the Crochan tower. "I don’t know the password!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing slightly in the empty hall. He was so focused that he hadn’t even noticed the noise they had made running down the halls. 

And in a matter of minutes, Aelin and the twins had quickly closed the distance between them, trying to get around him and prevent him from bolting again. 

He still hadn’t noticed their presence, staring up at the lovely black-haired woman in the portrait imploringly. But she was unmoved by his desperate pleading. “No password, no entry, pretty boy,” she quipped, turning up her nose.

“But I have to see Lyria!” he cried, taking a step closer. 

She arched a dark brow, and then her golden eyes flicked up and she met Aelin’s gaze before looking back down at Rowan. She shrugged dismissively. “That’s not my problem,” she crooned, picking a nonexistent piece of lint off of her red cloak and tossed it aside.

The portrait was trying to help them, Aelin realized, and she could only pray to all the gods that it would workd for a few more minutes. They were so close, just a few more meters and they would be would have him blocked in.

But unfortunately, they gods seemed to have no sympathy for her tonight. For Rowan made a noise of irritation and turned away, muttering curses under his breath. And his eyes widened as they fell on her, his shoulders tensing as noticed Connall and Fenrys as well. 

Connall rushed for him, trying to grab him, but Rowan drew his wand and threw up a shield charm, as he spun on his heel and took off down the hall like the wind itself was pushing him along. 

Aelin staggered back into a run, going after him. “Rowan, wait!" 

But he didn’t. He didn’t stop, and he didn’t slow down. He almost seemed to move faster. 

Rowan came to an adjoining corridor and turned, his socked feet slipping on the stone floors as he tore off down the hallway, Aelin and the twins not far behind. 

Fenrys was the fastest of the three of them, almost as quick as Rowan himself, and the golden haired twin was quickly gaining on Rowan. Just as he was close enough to tackle him to the floor, Rowan spun around, the tip of his wand flashing as he pointed it at Fenrys’s face. Fen let out a yelp as he ducked, narrowly avoiding the small ball of energy that shot out at him. 

But Connall wasn’t so lucky. His entire body seized up mid-step, his arms snapping down to his sides and his legs going ram-rod straight beneath him as he pitched forward, landing on the floor with a loud and painful _thump_. Another body-bind spell.

Oh, Aelin already knew they were never going to let Rowan hear the end of this once they got that love spell off of him. 

Rowan took advantage of their momentary distraction by darting into a nearby classroom. Growling, Fenrys shoved himself back to his feet and charged into the room after him.

When Aelin stumbled into the classroom a heartbeat later, she was nearly blinded by a flash of light that, this time, met its mark and hit Fenrys square in the face.

As Fen went down onto his backside, Aelin drew her own wand and pointed it at Rowan. ” _Dì-armaich_!“ 

Rowan glanced up at her in alarm, just as the disarming spell hit his hand. His wand went flying, and Aelin vaguely heard it clatter onto the floor a few feet way, somewhere behind a desk. He stared down at his now empty hand for a moment before looking back up at her, his eyes full of betrayal.

Aelin’s stomach twisted at the look. She felt terrible for doing it to him, really she did. It wasn’t Rowan’s fault that he was acting like this, that he couldn’t control himself at the moment. No that blame fell squarely on Lyria’s shoulders. But it didn’t change the fact that, left to his own devices, he couldn’t cause harm to them or to himself, so Aelin had done what she had to.

Fenrys pulled himself back to his feet, clinging onto a desk. And Rowan’s eyes darted between the two of them before settling on her again. And his pine green eyes narrowed.

An icy blast of wind swirled through the room, sending parchment and dust spiraling about. Aelin ducked her head, throwing her arm before her face to keep from being blinded by her hair whipping about wildly.

And then she heard one of the windows snap open with a bang, and she saw a light flash from behind her closed lids. Her eyes snapped open, recognizing what that flash meant. “Rowan, don’t!”

But he had already shifted. 

A white-tailed hawk shot towards the now open window, tucking his wings to his sides as he soared through the narrow opening and out into the cold night. 

Aelin rushed over to the window, leaning her upper half out as her eyes desperately scanned the skies, searching for that telltale flash of white from his tail-feathers. But Rowan was gone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dì-armaich - ‘disarm’ in Scottish Gaelic.


	15. a winter lullaby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set in my Blood and Bones au.

Rowan awoke to the sound of the door to his and Aelin’s rooms creaking open. A bleary-eyed glance at the clock told him it was just after midnight. A gentle snow was fluttering down outside the window; quite fitting for an early Yulemas morning. 

“Oopsie,” a familiar little voice whispered loudly from the other side of the bedroom door, and a smile tugged at Rowan’s lips. Aurelia. 

He lay there listening as the second door swung open silently and tiny bare feet padded across the floor of their bedroom. His wife didn’t stir from her slumber. A fact that warmed Rowan’s heart more than he ever thought possible, that Aelin was no longer so on edge, that she no longer felt the need to startle awake at the slightest hint of sound. 

But when a small weight tried to clamber up onto the foot of their bed, Aelin finally woke, lifting her head from the soft pillows. 

“We have a little visitor,” Rowan breathed, the words barely a whisper. 

Aelin blinked at him, and then a sleepy smile spread across her face. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, placing a hand on her slightly rounded belly. “What are you doing up, little love?” she asked, voice thick with sleep.

Rowan watched as the top of a golden head bounced around to Aelin’s side of the bed, and his wife leaned down to lift their three-year-old up onto the bed, settling her between them. 

With a happy smile, Aurelia burrowed down under the blankets, her little fingers patting the covers as she looked up at her mother. And then she turned to smile at him. Rowan smiled back at his daughter and she launched herself at him, snuggling against his chest like a wriggling puppy. 

“I thought you were asleep,” he said as he ran a hand down her back. 

She shook her head, curls bouncing. “No tired. Mama play more?" 

Rowan smiled at his wife. Aurelia wanted her to play another Yulemas song on the piano, as she had been doing earlier in the evening.

Aelin lay back on the bed and turned towards them, reaching a hand up to brush the little girl’s hair back behind her ears. "It’s too late for the piano, baby.”

“Please?”

“In the morning,” Aelin promised, yawning. “But right now it’s very late, and you need to sleep, love.”

Aurelia shook her head. “No.”

“Aurelia…”

“ _No_!” Aurelia covered her head with the blanket. 

Rowan laughed softly. Their daughter was just as stubborn as her mother. With a smile, he leaned over and gently pulled the blanket away from her face. “If you don’t go to sleep, _eun-leanabh_ , the Little Folk can not come to leave your Yulemas gifts.”

Pine green eyes, identical to Rowan’s own, turned to look up at him, widening in horror. “I go sleep!” And she crawled into her mother’s arms, snuggling her head under Aelin’s chin. 

Aelin huffed a laugh as she tucked the blanket around their daughter’s little shoulders. Rowan settled back against the bed again, reaching over to brush a hand down Aurelia’s back. And then he ran his fingers through Aelin’s hair. She tilted her head to kiss the inside of his wrist, meeting his gaze. Her eyes were full of happiness, but so exhausted.

After a moment, Aurelia opened her eyes and looked at him once more, her expression pleading as she chirped, “Papa sing?”

Aelin’s face lit up with amusement, a little smirk on her lips. “Yes, papa, sing us a lullaby,” she teased softly, her eyes bright in the dim light.

Rowan arched a brow at her, looking down at their little girl. “You want me to sing you a lullaby?” he asked, smiling at Aurelia.

“Yes!”

“Alright.” He thought for a moment, trying to decide which song to sing. And then he recalled an old winter lullaby his mother had sung to him when he was a child. The words were still as easy to recall in his mind as if he had only just heard it moments before. 

And so he began to sing. A song about the beauty of snow and fire in winter time. A song of a parent missing their child, who has gone far away, and their wish for them to return home safely. 

He kept his voice low and soothing, watching through the dim light as his daughter’s eyes began to droop. She blinked slowly, several times, before her eyes finally closed and did not open again, her breathing evening out.

Rowan ran a finger down her cheek as he sung, “ _And you little love, come safely home, riding the tail of the wind._ ” And when he glanced up at Aelin, her eyes too were growing heavy. 

By the time he finished the last of the verse, both of his loves were fast asleep. Rowan tucked the blanket up around them, and leaned over to press a kiss to his daughter’s brow, and brush his fingers over his wife’s cheek. Even in sleep she leaned into the touch. 

And Rowan smiled as he settled back onto his pillow to let sleep claim him once more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song Rowan sings is Winter, Fire and Snow. the version I’m most familiar with is by Órla Fallon, but another really pretty male variant is by Emmet Cahill and another by Brian Kennedy.


	16. an early present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in my icydk au

“Can I take this off now?” Aelin asked for what was probably the hundredth time in the past forty-five minutes.

She could hear the smile in Rowan’s voice as he responded, “Not yet, love.”

 _Hear_ , because she couldn’t see anything for the damn blindfold he made her put on. Because he didn’t want her to know where he was taking her. _It’s a surprise_ , he had said teasingly, in that stupid purring tone of his, the one that he knew she couldn’t say no to. The bastard.

She arched a brow, cocking her head to ‘look’ in his general direction. “You know, someone might see this thing on my face and think you’re kidnapping me,” she prompted, giving him a smirk. 

“Then I guess it’s a very good thing that I’m an officer of the law and have the badge to prove it, now isn’t it?” he countered, unfazed. 

Well damn. She slumped down into the seat, pouting. “Seriously, tell me where we’re going, Rowan." 

Once again, she could practically hear him grinning. "You’ll see very soon.”

Aelin rolled her eyes at his little joke, even through the effect was lost, and crossed her arms over her chest. “You know I don’t like surprises." 

He barked out a loud laugh. "Ha! That’s a lie and you know it, fireheart!" 

Okay, fine it _was_ a lie. But before she could quip back, the truck began to slow, halting momentarily. Her body swayed in the seat as he turned off of the paved road onto what sounded like a gravel drive, if the crunching beneath the tires was anything to go by. After another moment, the vehicle did finally come to a stop. And Aelin’s heart was racing with anticipation.

"We’re here,” Rowan’s voice said from beside her, and Aelin could have sworn that there was a hint of excitement in his own voice. The keys jingled as he removed them from the ignition and she heard his seatbelt click as he unfastened it. But as Aelin tried to unbuckle her own, he grabbed her hand. “Hey, hey, wait. I’ll come around to your side." 

She smiled at the concern in his voice. It was the middle of December and everything was icy. He had had to help her out of the house and into the truck so she didn’t slip and break her neck.

The driver’s side door opened, and she could hear noises coming from outside, but before she could place them, the door slammed shut. A heartbeat later, her own door opened, and Rowan’s steady, sure hands were unbuckling her seatbelt before wrapping around hers, helping her slide out of the truck. Ice and gravel crunched beneath her boots as her feet hit the ground. She swayed slightly, but Rowan steadied her, preventing her from toppling over with a hand under her elbow. 

Aelin smiled up at him, but then she heard that noise again. And this time, it was clear enough to register what it was. Barking. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Dogs?” she asked, tilting her head as if to stare up at him. At least she hoped he was standing where she thought he was.

Suddenly the blindfold was pulled off of her face and Aelin blinked several times at the sudden brightness. When her eyes adjusted, she found Rowan looking down at her, a wide smile on his face. She shifted her gaze to look at the building before them, _Orynth Animal Shelter_ written in big white letters on the side of it. 

Her began thundering with excitement. “Rowan, you-? Are you… are we-?” She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Somehow, Rowan’s smile grew wider. So wide, his eyes crinkled at the corners and his left dimple appeared in his cheek. “You’ve always wanted one,” he replied. “And with all the space we have now, there will be plenty of room for it to run and play… Consider it an early Yulemas present, love.”

Something between a laugh and a sob broke free of her lips as she launched herself at her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him, kissing his face anywhere she could reach. It was a moment before she realized she was crying. 

“Hey! Don’t cry. You haven’t even met them yet,” Rowan laughed softly, rubbing her upper back.

Aelin leaned back to look up at him, smiling broadly. “I love you.” They were the only words she could get out, but she knew Rowan heard and understood what she had meant to say. _Thank you._

Smiling softly, Rowan leaned down to press his forehead to hers. “I love you, too, fireheart.”

Unable to wait a second longer, Aelin grabbed Rowan’s hand with a giddy squeal and practically dragged him inside the animal shelter.

~*~

They had looked at every dog in the shelter, but still, Aelin hadn’t found _the one_.

Every dog and puppy she looked at, every one she sat down and played with, was perfect. She loved each of them instantly. And if she could have had her way, she would have taken each and every one of them. But with every one something had been… missing? 

“You have to make up your mind, fireheart,” Rowan said gently, as she stood before one of the kennels looking in at a bunch of black balls of fluff, indecision playing at her features. “We can’t stay all night.”

She turned her face up to him and pouted. “But I want to take them _all_.”

Rowan smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I know, but only one.” And after a heartbeat he added, “For today anyway.”

Aelin perked up at that, and there was such an adoring look that came over Rowan’s face as he watched her that she was seriously thinking about kissing him again. 

But just then she noticed a puppy in the kennel behind Rowan. Small, with shaggy golden fur and big paws, wandering over to a water dish. Aelin hadn’t realized that pen was occupied before. 

Slowly, she stepped around her boyfriend and kneeled down next to the door. The puppy looked up at her with big brown eyes, its feathery ears perking up at the strange visitor. “Hi there, little girl,” Aelin said softly, reaching a finger through the links. “Where did you come from?” Immediately, a little tail began waggling excitedly.

With a small laugh, Aelin eased open the door and the little thing trotted over to her outstretched hand, licking and nipping at her fingers. And Aelin scooped her up into her arms, running her fingers through the soft golden fur. 

And Aelin felt it. That _feeling_ that had been missing with all the other dogs she had looked at. A warmth in her heart. A sense of rightness, that this was family. That their family could never be complete without this tiny creature. 

Slowly, Aelin stood and walked over to Rowan. “This one,” she breathed. This one was theirs. She was vaguely aware that she had started to cry again.

With a smile, Rowan took a step closer, reaching over to scratch the puppy on the head. 

The little golden creature wriggled in Aelin’s arms, stretching until she could reach Rowan’s face. And she promptly licked him across the cheek and nose. 

Aelin couldn’t help it, she began to cackle at the startled expression that spread across his face, even as she pulled the little dog back into her arms.

Rowan glanced down at the squirming ball of fluff, and then met her gaze. “Yep,” he agreed, unable to keep the grin off of his face. “This is the one.”


	17. i put a spell on you - part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third and final part of the ToGxHP au drabble.

They had looked everywhere for Rowan, the three of them splitting up so they could cover more ground, searching every hallway and corner of the school. But it was as if Rowan had vanished, and Aelin was starting to give up hope of finding her boyfriend anytime soon.

She didn’t know what to do. If they couldn’t find him and convince him to go to the hospital wing, the only other option they would have would be to wait out the love potion and let Rowan return to her once it had worn off. Aelin didn’t like that plan, not one bit. Mala only knew how long that would take, or what sort of trouble Rowan would get himself into between now and then. But as the seconds ticked by, it was starting to look more and more inevitable.

As Aelin began down yet another empty corridor, a thought struck her. Her father’s map, the one that revealed the locations of every person within the school at any given second.

How could she have forgotten about it? If Rowan was anywhere, the map would show it. Even if he was in his animal form.

And if the map revealed that he had, in fact, somehow made it into the Crochan tower and was with Lyria, well… Aelin would figure out her own way to get into that tower. Even if she had to rip that portrait off of the wall with her bare hands. Even if it got her expelled.

Not wanting to waste another second, Aelin quickly set out for their own common room, running in her eagerness to find her map and see where in the wyrd Rowan could have flown off to. But as she passed the arched doorway of the spiral staircase leading up to the Astronomy Tower, she paused.

Taking a few halting steps closer, she peered up into the darkened stairwell, noting the faint glow of moonlight shining through the spacious doorways atop the tower. Aelin gnawed on her lip hesitantly, casting a wary glance further down the hall to the entrance of the Galathynius common room. It was merely meters away, in fact she could hear Mort’s spine chilling metallic snoring. It was right there, the map was right there. But…

Something in her gut, her heart, was telling her she needed to go up there. Like a pull, tugging her up up up. It made more sense to go get the map so she would know for sure but… what if Rowan was up there?

Taking a deep breath and hoping against hope that she wasn‘t making a mistake, Aelin took a step into the darkness and began the steep climb to the top of the tower.

~*~

Rowan was standing out on the balcony, his hands resting on the metal railing as he stared up at the moon once more. His silver hair shimmered like it itself had been made from strands of starlight.

Careful, so as not to spook him and send him running again, Aelin stepped out onto the balcony. Rowan turned his head ever so slightly in her direction, an acknowledgement of her presence, but otherwise he made no move to flee. So Aelin took that last step up the railing, standing beside him.

He seemed so much calmer now, more collected and like himself. So far from how he had been acting in the halls below, like a wild animal in fear of it‘s life.

“I don’t know why I came here,” he said quietly, breaking the silence. Aelin glanced up at him questioningly, and saw that his brow had furrowed in confusion. “I was going to fly up to the Lyria’s window but I just…,” his eyes fell from the moon, down to the darkened tree line of Oakwald, “I turned and came here. I don’t know why, but something just told me to come here.”

Aelin blinked in surprise, her heart beating a little quicker. Whatever it had been that had urged Rowan to come here, could it have been the same thing that had nudged her as well? Perhaps the gods weren’t sitting back, making a joke out of her life after all.

And then Rowan spoke again, and his words nearly had her heart both stopping and leaping out of her chest at once. “I came here with someone, but it wasn‘t with Lyria.” His silver eyebrows were so drawn together that a deep crinkle had formed between his eyes.

She stared up at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. Her heart was beating so wildly that she could hardly breathe. Because it was with her that Rowan had snuck up here. They had done so on numerous occasions, whenever they wanted some alone time away from all of their friends.

“I don’t feel very well,” Rowan murmured.

Aelin reached over and touched him on the arm, his bare skin was surprisingly warm beneath her fingertips, given the cold, “You should go to the infirmary, Rowan. Madam Rosamund will get you all sorted out and you’ll feel better in no time. Sound good?”

Rowan’s gaze fell to where she was touching his arm, and for several long heartbeats he stared at her fingers. And then slowly, his eyes rose to hers and Aelin’s breath caught as a different sort of look came over his face. His green eyes softened, looking more like pools of molten pools emerald. Aelin could only describe it as a look of awe, like he was a man seeing the sunlight for the first time in years.

“Rowan?” she asked, her voice coming out much softer than intended.

His eyelids shuttered at the sound of her voice, and then he nodded and said, almost breathlessly, “Okay.”

~*~*~

Rowan’s eyes shifted to the blonde haired girl walking beside him as they made their way to the hospital wing. As he studied her, a warmth spread through his body, bubbling up in his chest.

Looking at her made his heart ache with joy. She was so beautiful. With her golden hair falling about her shoulders, and those stunning turquoise eyes with the ring of molten gold in their centers. Everything within him want nothing more than to just stare at her and never look away.

He didn’t understand it. He … loved Lyria but… why did he feel like drawn to this girl? Like something inside of him was pulling him towards her. Why was it becoming increasingly more difficult to tear his gaze away? His skin still tingled where she had touched him before, like fire was dancing across his skin.

As he watched, she caught her lower lip between her teeth, a look of worry or sadness or both dimming her lovely eyes. And it was as if a pressure settled on his chest, weighing down on him and making it difficult to breathe.

Rowan didn’t like that look. Not one bit. He wanted to make that sadness go away, wanted to put a smile on her face. He would do anything.

Taking a step closer to her, Rowan tilted his head. “Why are you sad?” he asked, his brows drawing together. Her eyes darted up to his, and his heart skipped a beat. “I don’t want you to be sad.”

Her lips twitched up into a small smile then. “That’s very sweet of you, Rowan,” she said softly.

And her voice. It was as sweet and feathery soft as a summer song and the magic coursing though his veins sang along with each note. Here here here, it said. Here was where he was supposed to be.

Rowan’s feet halted of their own accord, and he turned towards her, smiling down at her broadly. She paused, looking up at him curiously. He lifted his hand to her face, tracing his fingertips along her cheek before brushing them through her hair. The silken strands slipped between his fingers like liquid gold. “Your hair is so soft,” he murmured, completely transfixed as he twirled a wavy lock. “And it’s so pretty. It looks like it was made of sunlight.”

She huffed a soft laugh, that ghost of a smile that had graced her lips growing wider. And it was so lovely and warm that it stole the breath from his lungs and set his heart to racing. It was as exhilarating as flying it his hawk form, even as his feet were still firmly planted on the ground.

Gods, he wanted to hug her. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. So he did just that.

Rowan took another careful step closer, giving her the space to back away if she so wanted. But she didn’t. And he slowly slipped his arms around her waist, gently tugging her against him. And the relief he felt at that action, the way she fit in his arms, as if she had been made to perfectly fit there, had him inhaling sharply, and the scent of jasmine and lavender filled his senses.

Oh, oh. That scent. He remembered that scent, loved it. That scent was home. Rowan squeezed her a bit tighter, nestling his face against her hair. “You smell good,” he sighed, letting his eyes fall blissfully closed.

He both heard and felt the soft laugh that shook her body. And then, almost hesitantly, her own hands went around him, settling lightly on his back as she hugged him in return. Rowan’s face was hurting from smiling so much, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t help it. He was so-

Lyria.

The name seemed to flutter to the surface of his mind, and a pretty face with chestnut eyes and long brown hair flashing behind his closed eyes. Lyria. Lyria.

But though it beckoned to him, tried to cling to him and drag him back down into the warm, inviting depths with it, Rowan’s heart recoiled from it.

It could not compare to the golden-haired young woman held within his arms. It was nothing to her light and her warmth, it was cold in comparison. And his mind easily shook off its feeble grip, as if he were merely shrugging out of a cloak. And everything became clear.

Aelin. This girl, this was Aelin, his fireheart. And he loved her.

That low, tingling warmth in his chest spread through the rest of his body, from his fingers down to his toes. Keeping his arms around her, Rowan pulled back slightly. Just enough that he could see her face, so that his eyes could drink her in as his lips parted and he said, “I love you.”

Those stunning turquoise and gold eyes widened in shock. “W-what?”

Laughing lightly, Rowan lifted his hands to cradle her face, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. “I said,” he began, smiling as he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers, “that I love you, Aelin.”

Her cheeks turned a charming shade of pink a she blinked up at him, her eyes darting nervously between his. “I- Rowan, you-”

But before she could get the words out, the world shifted beneath his feet. Rowan’s hands dropped from her face to her shoulders in an attempt to steady himself. A strange feeling washed through him, leaving him feeling hollow and cold and numb in its wake. His stomach churned. “I.. really don’t feel well,” he rasped out, his face crumpling. His grip on her shoulders tightened as he began to sway on his feet.

“Rowan?” Aelin asked in alarm, her arms snaking back around his waist as she tried to offer him some support.

His fingers went slack, and Rowan lost his grip on her. He lost his grip on everything as black formed around the edges of his vision.

“Rowan!”

And he was too much for Aelin to hold up as his legs finally gave out from beneath him and he crumpled. His knees slammed into the unforgiving stone floor a heartbeat before his face did, pain blooming in his temple and then he knew no more.

~*~*~

The air smelled… different.

That was the first thought that formed in Rowan’s mind as he rose into consciousness. It wasn’t the familiar, comforting cinnamon and apple and pine scent of the common room and dorms. No, this smelled of green things and fresh linens.

With some effort, Rowan managed to force his heavy eyelids open. And as his blurry vision slowly adjusted, the high white arches of the ceiling above him came into focus.

The hospital wing. He was in the hospital wing. Rowan had found himself here on more than a few occasions over the years, sometimes visiting Aelin, but usually as a patient himself, often in the cot right next to hers. By this point, the that familiar ceiling was as easy to recognize as the one in his own house.

But… why was he here?

His body felt heavy and achy, his limbs like deadweights, and there was a throbbing pain the in right side of his face. The last thing he could remembered clearly was kissing Aelin goodnight in the common room, and then he went up to bed. He had found that box of pastries and… Oh. Oh no.

Everything began to slowly trickle back to him. It was blurry and fractured, but he remembered eating a few of those apple pastries. Remembered fighting with the twins and being chased down the halls. He remembered Aelin finding him at the top of the Astronomy Tower. Oh gods.

Something warm twitched around his left hand, drawing his attention away from the panic welling in his chest. Turning his still sleep-heavy gaze to the left, he found Aelin. She was sitting on a low stool, her upper half laying partially across his cot, long golden hair fanned out over the ivory blanket covering his legs. But despite her being sound asleep, her smaller hand was wrapped firmly around his.

Rowan smiled softly, a warmth blooming in his chest at the sight of her. He ran his thumb over the backs of her fingers lightly, so that he didn’t wake her.

The sound of heeled shoes clicking against the floor met Rowan’s ears and he glanced up to see Madam Rosamund heading their way. “Oh good, you’re awake,” she said cheerfully, but quietly, noting the still sleeping Aelin. She offered him a small brown cup, “Drink this Mr. Whitethorn, it will help with the pain."

Seemingly on cue, his body gave a twinge that had him wincing as he reached for the offered cup. He lifted it to his lips and took a sip. And nearly gagged; it tasted like mud. Fighting back a cringe, he downed the rest of it and quickly handed the cup back, eager to be rid of the lingering smell.

As Madam Rosamund took back the cup with a small smirk, Aelin began to stir. She grumbled softly, turning her head so that her face was buried in the blanket. The healer’s brown eyes flitted between the two of them, before she gave Rowan a knowing little smile as she walked away.

With a groan, Aelin sat up, her golden hair falling in a tangled curtain over her face as she glanced around with sleepy eyes. When her gaze fell upon him, she instantly perked up in surprise, her eyes brightening.

"Hey, fireheart,” Rowan murmured, smiling up at her.

“Hi,” she replied softly, a lovely smile lighting up her face at his words “How are you feeling?” She reached up to brush a few strands of hair off of his brow.

“Terrible. But alive,” he answered honestly, giving her a crooked smile.

Aelin laughed at that. “Good.” She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his brow, and when she pulled back she gave him a little smirk. “Death by love potion would have been a terrible way to go, you know,” she teased, her nose crinkling.

He let out a low groan, his face heating as he let his head fall back onto the pillow. “I never want to see another amortentia potion again.”

Still grinning, Aelin turned to the nearby nightstand and picked up a pitcher, pouring him a cup of water. But as she handed the cup to him, her expression turned a bit sour. Rowan arched a brow at her questioningly as he accepted the water, curious as to what had caused her mood shift but grateful none the less for the drink; he was eager for something to wash away the mud-taste of that tonic.

As he was in the middle of swallowing a large gulp, she finally spoke, and he nearly became strangled. “Lyria actually had the nerve to show up here to check on you,” Aelin muttered darkly, picking at a loose thread in the blanket.

He cleared his throat, arching a brow at her. “Oh, really?” Given that Aelin obviously hadn’t been expelled, he thought it was safe to assume that that meant Lyria hadn’t been too horribly maimed. But still… judging from the look on her face, that meeting had not gone very well for Lyria.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully, as she examined her fingernails. “I may or may not have conjured a dragon made of fire to chase her across the school,” she admitted, her tone anything but repentant. In fact, she sounded downright pleased with herself. And then she added under her breath, “And her hair may also be several inches shorter now.”

Rowan laughed, a grin spread across his face. That sounded just like his fireheart. But as he laughed, pain wracked his body again and he winced. Gods, why did everything hurt?

Aelin noticed the pained expression and leaned in closer again, running her free hand over his face soothingly. “You had a reaction to one of the ingredients in the potion,” she explained, her brow furrowing with what looked like both concern and anger. “She added more that she was supposed to and let it… mature so that the effects would be stronger. It’s why you began to feel so sick before you passed out.” By the time she had finished, her face was set firmly in a scowl.

“Ugh,” he groaned, dropping back into the pillow with his eyes squeezed shut. He didn’t know which was worse. The pain.. or the fact that he still didn’t remembering exactly what all he had done while under the effects of that spell. If he had been spewing lovey-dovey nonsense about Lyria all night…

Oh gods, Aelin. He lifted his head and glanced up at his girlfriend, only to find her already watching him, as if she were worried he might become sick again. That was when he noticed just how exhausted she looked.

He lifted a hand and ran a finger tip over the dark smudge beneath her eye. “You look tired,” he murmured softly.

Aelin rolled her eyes. “Och! Thanks, buzzard. Just what every girl wants to hear her boyfriend say,” but her tone was full of teasing, and she gave him a sideways smirk. He knew what she was trying to do, she was trying to make it seem as if it were not a big deal. But it was to him. And after a moment, her expression sobered and she took his hand between both of hers, lacing their fingers together. “I didn’t want to leave you alone.” After what happened, she didn’t have to add.

Rowan’s gaze softened, a warmth blooming in his chest, and if it were possible, Rowan thought that he might have fallen a little more in love with her. He squeezed her hand gently, until she glanced up at him again. “You still need to get some rest, fireheart. I’ll be fine now,” he said softly, trying his best to give her a reassuring smile, but he wasn’t entirely sure that it didn’t look more like a grimace.

“Madam Rosamund ordered me back to the dorms last night,” she pouted, her mouth twisting into a slight frown. “But I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been here all day today. The twins brought me something to eat from the feast so that I didn’t have to leave.”

The feast? Rowan blinked at her. But the feast wasn’t until- “How long have I been asleep?” he asked in confusion.

Aelin met his gaze. “You’ve been asleep for almost two days."

Rowan gaped at her. Two days? His eyes flitted to the curtain beside the bed, through a small crack he could see a darkened evening sky. But that meant-

"It’s Yulemas night,” she confirmed sadly, her brows drawn in sympathy as she read the shock on his face.

With another groan, one that had little to do with the pain in his body, Rowan scrubbed at his face with the heel of his palm. He had screwed everything up. Aelin certainly hadn’t been planning on spending the holiday cooped up in the hospital wing. “I’m sorry, fireheart,” he sighed.

She arched a brow, reaching over to grasp his wrist and pull his hand away from his face. “Hey, no don’t you start that. It’s not your fault.” She lifted their still joined hands to her lips and pressed a kiss to the back of his, flashing him a reassuring smile over his knuckles. “I’m just happy that you’re alright.” Her voice wavered slight at the words, revealing just how worried she had truly been.

Rowan smiled weakly up at her, though he still felt horrible. He lifted his free hand to her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek.

But then Aelin a small smirk formed on her lips. “You… said some pretty interesting things while you were still potioned up,” she teased, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

He swallowed nervously, forcing out a low huffed laugh. This was exactly what he had been dreading. Finding out exactly what manner of foolishness he had gotten himself into while under that spell, all the mortifying things he had said and done that he couldn’t recall. But… he peered up at her from beneath his lashes. He couldn’t help but wonder why she was the one blushing. “What sort of interesting things?” he asked carefully.

That smirk became a full blown grin. “Oh, this and that,” she crooned playfully. “You said that I smelled nice and that my hair looks like sunlight. Which is definitely a step up from your comparing Lyria’s hair to dirt."

Rowan felt his face warm.

But then her gaze dropped to their joined hands, and the flush on her own face darkened further. "There at the end it.. seemed like the spell shifted or something. From Lyria over to me.”

“Oh?” He asked a bit breathlessly. Never before had he heard of a love potion doing that.

Aelin nodded. She glanced at him, the look almost shy, but her voice was even and unwavering, “You told me that you loved me.”

Rowan felt the blood drain from his face, his eyes widening. “I, uh- I did?” he stammered weakly. Oh, this was so very decidedly not how he had wanted to tell her.

“Mmhmm,” she murmured, nodding as she bit her lip, grinning down at him. She seemed rather pleased about it, which was a big relief, and Rowan let out a shaky breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. She arched a brow at him expectantly, waiting for him to respond. “Are you going to tell me it was just the potion talking? Or-” she trailed off, her voice full of teasing.

But beneath it all, he heard that hint of uncertainty that she was trying to cover up. He saw the small glimmer of fear and hesitation in her beautiful eyes.

Rowan shook his head, his heart pounding against his ribs. “I love you, Aelin,” he said firmly, wanting to leave no room for doubt in her heart, her mind.

A slow, lovely smile spread across Aelin’s face. And it was so bright and joyful that, for several heartbeats, Rowan couldn’t breathe. And then she leaned down to press her lips to his in a soft kiss that set his pulse and his magic to fluttering faster than a snitches wings. When she pulled back, he felt her grinning against his lips as she whispered, “I love you too, Rowan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was worth the wait 💚


	18. a surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in my icydk au.

Now was not the time to be sick. Yulemas was less than a day away and Aelin still had last minute gifts to buy and food to get for their party. No, it was not a good time to be under the weather. 

But here she was, hurling her guts up on the bathroom floor instead of going shopping like she needed to. She had been about to walk out the door when the nausea had hit, and she had barely made it to the bathroom in time.

“Aelin? Love?” Rowan’s voice was full of concern as his hurried steps echoed down the hall. He appeared in the doorway and saw her kneeling on the floor in front of the toilet and he was immediately at her side, brushing her hair back off of her sweat dampened brow. “You’re sick again?”

She had been feeling off for days now, and completely exhausted. And then yesterday the nausea had started, but it had gone away after a while. All of the pressure of hosting a Yulemas party, planning a dinner for their family and friends, having to finish shopping, not to mention all the planning for Rowan’s birthday yesterday; it was no wonder she had caught a bug. Aelin had run herself ragged.

“Yes,” she moaned before she was hurling again, Rowan holding her hair back.

After she was fairly certain she was done vomiting for the moment, he washed her face with a cool cloth and gave her some water to rinse her mouth. She was too exhausted to move, so Rowan scooped her up and carried her to the couch, laying her down and covering her with a blanket. She didn’t even have the energy to protest. 

He brushed her hair back behind her ear. “You stay here and rest, love. I’ll go take care of the rest of the shopping.”

“But I-,” she began, trying to shove the blanket off and sit up.

Rowan gave her a look that left no room for argument and began tugging her boots off. “You made a list right? I’ll find it. If there’s any trouble with anything I can call you.” He tucked her sock-clad feet back under the quilt.

She slumped back onto the cushions, letting him pull the blanket back up to her chin. “But I was going to get stuff for the dinner,” she mumbled.

“I can take care of that, too,” he assured her. “But if you’re still sick, I doubt there will be a dinner anyway.” He ran his fingers through her hair and she sighed, leaning into the touch. 

Pouting, she grumbled her agreement. “I hate being sick.”

Rowan laughed lightly and kissed her forehead. “Do you want me to take you do the doctor? Or call Lys or your mother to come stay with you while I’m gone?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” she shook her head. Her eyes were getting so heavy. “I just need to rest. I’m gonna take a nap. You can go…”

He gave her another smile. “Alright, love. I’ll text you.”

“'kay,” she murmured. She nearly purred when he ran a hand down her hair and kissed her again. 

Her eyes were already closed, but she listened to the sound of his footsteps as he moved towards the door. Heard him digging the shopping list and car keys out of her coat pocket, but the sounds were growing more distant. “I’ll be back soon, love.”

“… love you,” she breathed. Aelin was already falling asleep.

~*~

Aelin startled awake to the sound of knocking, snorting as she sat up and looked around. It took her a moment to remember where she was. 

The knock sounded again, and she blinked, turning to look at the front door, still in a daze. “Aelin, sweetie? Are you in there?”

That was her mother’s voice. Swaying slightly, Aelin pushed to her feet and hurried to the door. It opened to reveal Evalin Galathynius, her long golden hair, streaked with a few fine strands of silver, pulled back in a bun, and a look of concern on the face that was near identical to Aelin’s own. 

Aelin blinked at her. “Mom, wha-”

“Are you okay?” she near demanded, her hands fluttering over Aelin’s face, as if checking for a fever. 

“I’m fine,” she waved her hands away. “What are you doing here, mom?”

Her mother breezed into the living room, setting a bag carefully on a nearby table as she removed her outerwear. “Rowan called and said that you weren’t feeling well, and that you hadn’t answered his messages.“ 

Rowan had called? How long had she been out? "I was asleep,” she explained weakly, rubbing her face. “What time is it?”

“He figured as much, but I could tell he was worried. And it’s nearly two-thirty.”

She’d been asleep for over _five_ hours? Gods above.

A muffled, jingling melody began to sound from the nearby coat rack, and Aelin realized why she hadn’t heard any of Rowan’s messages. Her phone was still in her coat pocket. She quickly fished it out and saw that it was Rowan calling her, as well as the several missed calls and texts in the notifications. 

She quickly answered it. “Hey, baby.”

“Are you alright?” Rowan’s frantic voice came through the line. 

Aelin smiled to herself at her husband’s concern. “Yes, I feel a lot better now,” she assured him. She made her way back over to the couch to sit. “I just woke up. Mom’s here.”

His relief was clear, “Good. I was worried.”

“I’m sorry.” She pursed her lips, picking a piece of blanket lint off of her red sweater-dress. “Are you having any luck?”

“Yes, actually. I’ve found most everything, despite the crazy crowds,” he laughed, sounding quite surprised. “I only have a couple more presents and then I can get the groceries. And then I’ll be home.” His voice full of relief at the notion.

“Good. I miss you,” she murmured. Aelin could practically hear him smiling on the other end of the line. 

“I miss you too. Is there anything else you want me to get for you?”

She shook her head, despite him not being able to see. “No- Oh, wait! Yes! Could you get me some chocolate hazelnut ice cream that I like? I’m really craving that right now.” Just thinking about it was making her stomach growl. “ _Pleeease_?" 

Rowan laughed again, "Of course, love. I’ll see you soon.”

“I love you,” she told him. When she hung up, her mother was smiling knowingly at her from the chair. 

Aelin grumbled and flopped back onto the couch. “Ugh. I feel terrible, mama,” she whined, running her hands through her hair. “But I have so much to do before tonight. And for tomorrow…”

“I know, darling. And that’s why I’m here; to help. But first you are going to sit down and eat something,” she chided. She directed Aelin to the kitchen, where she sat her down at the table, Evalin toting the little bag she had earlier. Her mother pulled a large foam cup with a lid out of it. “I got you some soup from that little diner you like. Here,” she sat the cup of soup down before Aelin and then handed her a spoon. “Soup is always good for colds and upset stomachs." 

Aelin laughed softly, smiling up at her mother as she pulled the lid off of the cup. But then the smell of chicken noodle soup hit her nose. 

And her stomach turned.

Gagging, Aelin clamped a hand over her mouth. She just barely made it to the sink before she was heaving again. 

"Aelin!” her mother cried in alarm.

Aelin groaned. She had thought she was done throwing up, but apparently she was wrong, and the lingering smell of that soup was not helping. Between panting breaths, Aelin moaned weakly, “Please, get it away. I can’t stand the smell.” Her stomach lurched again.

Evalin looked at her daughter curiously, and then at the cup of soup. And then her turquoise and gold eyes darted to her daughter again, a hand covering her mouth. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Aelin whined, half splayed across the counter.

Her mother’s hand fell down to her chin, “Aelin, sweetie…” She hesitated. “Are you- Are you pregnant?”

At her mother’s words, it was as if the blood all drained from Aelin’s face. And then she was throwing up again.

~*~

The next morning, Aelin sat on the couch, sipping her ginger tea. Her mother had sworn by it yesterday, and it must have been helping some, because she, thankfully, hadn’t had any morning sickness so far this morning.

Pregnant. There was no doubt. 

Immediately after she had stopped hurling her guts up, Aelin had gone to the drugstore in town and bought a pregnancy test. A dozen of them. Every one had come back positive.

But she hadn’t really needed the test to confirm it. After her mother had asked, Aelin had known. All of the signs had been there for weeks and she just hadn’t paid attention until they were pointed out. 

She and Rowan had talked about kids, and they weren’t exactly ‘not’ trying. So while it _was_ a surprise, it wasn’t an unwelcome one. An unexpected, but wonderful surprise.

Aelin caught her lip between her teeth to stifle the joyful laugh that bubbled up in her chest. She hadn’t told Rowan yet. Her gaze rose to the tree, to the other little present she had gotten for him while she was out yesterday. Hanging there on a limb amidst the twinkling lights and ornaments just waiting for him to notice. 

She knew Rowan was behind her before he had even leaned over the couch to wrap his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Are you ready for your presents?” he asked, his voice light with an almost child-like excitement. 

“Always, buzzard,” she laughed, smiling up at him. 

His brows waggled slightly as he grinned. “There’s one I want you to open first,” he said, taking the cup of tea from her and setting it on the end table. And then he took both of her hands and pulled her to her feet, leading her over to the tree. 

“Okay,” she laughed at his eagerness. 

Rowan bit his lip, the gesture charming, and then dropped to the floor to dig through the presents to find whatever he was looking for. Aelin sat down next to him, watching him carefully.

She knew the exact moment he saw her addition to the tree, because his head lifted and he froze. 

His silver brows rose curiously. “Fireheart, what is this?” Rowan asked almost breathlessly, lifting a hand to cup the little pair of white knitted baby booties. With a gentleness that almost cracked her heart, he lifted them off of the limb to cradled in his large palm. So very slowly, he turned to her, his eyes wide and still locked on the tiny thing in his hand. 

Rowan’s lips parted, and she heard an almost silent gasp pass between them. She could have sworn that he was trembling. “Aelin,” he said, his voice rough. And then his pine green eyes rose to hers, and there was silver lining them. “ _Aelin_ ,” the word was almost a plea, it was so thick with emotion, his accent more prominent. It made her heart clench.

Aelin could only nod at her husband, tears blurring her own vision. Her throat was too tight to speak, because she knew how much this meant to him. 

The little white boots hit the floor, and then his lips were on hers. A muffled sound caught between them, but who’s it was she hadn’t a clue. Her fingers buried in his hair as he pulled her against his body. 

“ _Mo gaol._ Fireheart,” he breathed into her heart, her soul, and she choked on a sob. “We’re having a baby?” he asked finally, needing to hear it voiced aloud. To make absolutely sure.

“Yes,” she whispered back. “We are having a baby.”

A noise caught in the back of his throat, something between a sob and a laugh, and then he was kissing her again. “I love you.” His hands traced her face before weaving through the strands of her hair. “ _I love you_ ,” he repeated, his voice breaking. “ _Tha gaol agam ort_." 

The morning tricked by as they lay there, wrapped around each other on the living room floor. Crying and kissing and murmuring to each other. The presents beneath the tree, and their plans for the rest of the day, forgotten for a good long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I use Scottish Gaelic for the Old Language. Mo gaol = my love and Tha gaol agam ort = I love you.

**Author's Note:**

> Snippets for all my stories posted on my tumblr, @westofmoon
> 
> I do not consent to this work being hosted on any unofficial apps or to any other websites.


End file.
